Sonia Verma-15/05/2007

Sonia Verma, (Times)

"As well as the sharply increasing level of violence in Gaza over the last 24 hours, what particularly imperils the Palestinian Government is the fact that the Interior Minister Hani al-Qawasmeh resigned today. He was the minister specifically in charge of the security of the territories, so his decision to quit at this time of crisis will be a big blow.

Many see the events of the past weekend as further evidence of the pointlessness of the current unity administration, because it has plainly failed to achieve the two goals it was set up to achieve. First, it was designed to end the factional fighting that killed hundreds at the start of the year by bringing the warring parties together. Second, it aimed to restart international funding for the Palestinians, much of which was suspended when Hamas won parliamentary elections last year.

As we can see from the weekend's events, the terrible fighting has not stopped and international funding has not restarted, largely because of Hamas's continuing refusal to recognise Israel's right to exist and renounce terrorism.

What's more, the violence over the last few hours has had a particularly brutal and ominous edge to it. Yesterday alone we saw dozens of kidnappings by men from both sides, with the hostages later released. We also saw what was, effectively, the execution of two Hamas-affiliated newspaper workers after they were dragged from their car at gunpoint at a Fatah checkpoint, which led to the fear of almost inevitable revenge.

In an atmosphere like this, many Palestinians will ask: 'What is the point of having a Government which seems incapable of presiding over its territory?'

In truth, the only thing holding it together is that there is no will at the head of either Fatah or Hamas to leave the Government and call a general election because both parties would not be confident of their chances in such a poll.

After being elected last year and bringing nothing but security chaos and international boycotts to the territories, Hamas is widely considered a failed Government. On the other hand, however, Mahmoud Abbas, of Fatah, is considered extremely weak and lacks any credibility on the Palestinian street.

Neither party, in those circumstances, would regard it as being in their interests to dissolve the unity Government."

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