Fatah has accused Hamas of preparing for a rebellion in the West Bank along the lines of what happened in the Gaza Strip mid-June 2007. This came after the recent clashes between the two movements in Qalqilya that resulted in the death of seven people and injury of two others.
Fatah Spokesman Fahmi Za'areer has described the clashes between Hamas elements and the national security forces in Qalqilya as "the beginning of preparation for a coup." He called on Fatah members and leaders to be "cautious" in light of Hamas's "schemes and conspiracies."
Armed clashes broke out on Thursday northern the West Bank, against the backdrop of a campaign by the national security forces to arrest "wanted" Hamas members. The clashes resulted in the death of a member from the national security forces, three Hamas activists and three Fatah members or the so-called "Dayton's forces." These forces have been named after the US General Keith Dayton, who is in charge of training Fatah members in the West Bank after Hamas took control of Gaza. In the Gaza Strip, demonstrations have been staged from all Gaza mosques to the Palestinian Legislative Council, to the west of the city. The demonstrators chanted slogans against Abbas and Fatah amid calls for revenge, retaliation, and attack on Fatah.
During the demonstration, Hamas leader Mushir al-Masri launched a sharp attack on the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). He accused Abbas of collaborating with Israel to liquidate the resistance and the mujahideen in the West Bank. Al-Masri called on the Palestinian factions to take a firm and mass action against the PNA's measures targeting Hamas members in the West Bank. He also called for preventing the security coordination between the PNA and Israel.
