April 17, 2006: Although Hamas won the Palestinian elections, and now run the government, they do not control all of the Palestinian territories. Fatah, which lost the elections because they ran multiple candidates, actually received more votes than Hamas (which ran only one candidate per constituency) has dozens of armed groups that now control pieces of Gaza and the West Bank. The Fatah militias are well armed, and openly proclaim their control, daring Hamas to try and exercise authority. So far, Hamas has not responded with force. If Hamas did try to take on Fatah, it would do so outnumbered, and civil war would result.

April 16, 2006: Israeli aircraft are regularly firing missiles at Fatah facilities in Gaza. While running the Palestinian Authority for a decade, the Fatah party tried to make up for its corruption by allowing its younger members engage in terrorist attacks against Israelis. So while Hamas, the largest terror group, continues to observe the truce, Fatah terrorists continue to make attacks with suicide attackers and Kassam rockets fired into southern Israel.

April 15, 2006: Because donors have cut off cash aid, some 140,000 Palestinian government employees have not been paid for two weeks. Hamas has asked Moslem governments to come up with the minimum amount of cash (about $50 million a week) needed to keep the government going. The Palestinian government can't get much credit, because it already had debts of over $1.3 billion. Most Moslem countries don't want to come up with money for the Palestinians, because these nations have mismanaged their own economies, and are often looking for handouts themselves.

April 14, 2006: The Iranian government has again openly called for the destruction of Israel. Iran also claims to have successfully processed uranium, to create nuclear fuel and, eventually, material for a nuclear bomb. Iran is also organizing donations to replace the billion dollars a year that Western nations will no longer contribute, as long as Hamas refuses to drop its call for the destruction of Israel. Hamas apparently believes that many Western donors, especially in Europe, will, in fact, keep the money going (but more discreetly.) Most of the money goes to propping up the Palestinian economy, but that, in turn, also supports Palestinian terrorist activities. While Iran urges Hamas to continue advocating the destruction of Israel, most other Arab states believe Hamas should loosen up, or even lie if they must. The Palestinians are hoping that a publicity campaign, featuring the suffering of broke Palestinians, will get the Europeans to send money. The Europeans are inclined to just send material (food and other goods), and no cash.

April 13, 2006: In Jerusalem, Palestinian terrorists killed a Palestinian who had sold an apartment building to an Israeli. Palestinian extremists consider this treason, as Israel is not supposed to exist, much less own any property in the Middle East. Meanwhile, in Gaza, two Kassam rockets were fired, but landed in Gaza, causing no casualties. In the West Bank, two dozen Palestinian Fatah terrorists raided Palestinian Authority offices, demanding benefits (in this case, government cars.)