June 19, 2007:
The Palestinians are now
split. Gaza, which voted mainly for Hamas, is controlled by Hamas, and shunned
by the West, and many Arab nations. The West Bank still has a majority
supporting Fatah, and Fatah hopes that outlawing Hamas in the West Bank, and
forming a Fatah government, most of the cut-off foreign aid will return, but
just to the West Bank. Gaza will get just enough food and medical aid to avoid
embarrassing videos of starving and dying people in Gaza In effect,
Israel is turning Gaza into a large prison, allowing little contact with the
outside world. The pro-Fatah people in Gaza have been ordered by Fatah to lay
low. Hamas is trying to control its most radical elements, who have begun
firing on Israeli troops at border crossings, and led looting of homes
belonging to Fatah officials. About a third of the Gaza population would like
to flee, but so would nearly as many West Bank residents, who are fed up with
Fatah corruption and Hamas radicalism. The Palestinians cannot govern
themselves, blaming Israel and the West for all their problems is wearing thin,
and an increasing number of Palestinians want to just get out of a pointless
and hopeless situation.
June 18, 2007: In Tripoli, Lebanon, the army
is still fighting fifty or so Islamic terrorists in a Palestinian refugee camp.
The fighting has been going on for weeks, and the army has displayed a low
level of competence and leadership.
June 17, 2007: Israel has stopped shipping
vehicle fuel to Gaza, but is still allowing fuel for the electrical power
company. In Lebanon, a new Palestinian terrorist group fired two 107mm
rockets, using timers, into northern Israel. No one was hurt, and Lebanese
police are looking for the perpetrators. Israeli armored vehicles entered
northern Gaza and occupied areas used to fire rockets into Israel.
June 16, 2007: Israel is cutting off most
financial and material aid to Gaza, and shifting all available resources to
Fatah in the West Bank. The thinking here is that the people in Gaza will
notice the much higher living standard in the West Bank, and become hostile to
Hamas. Fatah has outlawed Hamas and increased armed patrols in areas of the
West Bank where there are a lot of Hamas supporters.
June 15, 2007: Egypt pulled its diplomats out
of Gaza. Egypt fears Hamas will allow anti-Egyptian Islamic terrorists sanctuary
in Gaza. There have already been several terrorist operations against Egyptian
targets, that were traced back to groups in Gaza. Hamas is, by its own
admission, an Islamic radical organization dedicated to the use of violence.