Abbas: Hamas planning West Bank coup

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that Hamas is planning a coup in the West Bank, along similar lines to its successful seizure of power in the Gaza Strip in June of this year. The PA chairman also claimed that the Palestinian Islamist movement has international support for its plans. He did not mention by name the countries he claims are backing the planned coup, but a report in today's Jerusalem Post quoted unnamed aides to Abbas as saying that he was referring to Iran, Syria and Qatar. Hamas spokesmen denied the claims. These latest claims form part of an ongoing war of words between the two Palestinian movements. Fatah is aware that Hamas's control of Gaza places a large question mark over the claims by the PA chairman to be able to negotiate in the name of the Palestinians. In recent months, Fatah officials have been hinting that Hamas rule in Gaza will be short-lived, though it is difficult to find a practical basis for such claims. Hamas, meanwhile, is preparing for participation in the alternative conference being organised in Damascus, which is intended to bring together Palestinian radicals opposed to the current attempt to revive the peace process. 

Hamas of course has a presence in the West Bank, but, the PA chairman's comments notwithstanding, it is highly unlikely that the movement would attempt a coup in the area under the present balance of forces, as the movement is still consolidating its control of Gaza.  It carried out its putsch there after devoting a year and a half to building up an independent militia (the Executive Force) with the support of the PA Interior Ministry. No such preparations on the ground have taken place recently, or would be currently feasible in the West Bank, where Israel remains in control of security.

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