Hamas' Takeover of Gaza

By Tim McGirk, Aaron J. Klein

Hamas and Fatah may have passed the point of no return. The unprecedented viciousness of the renewed fighting between the rival Palestinian factions in Gaza makes any new cease-fire difficult to envision. Gangs have tossed enemies alive off 15-story buildings, shot one another's children and burst into hospitals to finish off wounded foes lying helplessly in bed. It is beginning to feel like civil war.

Over three days, at least 70 Palestinians were killed, and 180 more were wounded, as Hamas declared control over northern Gaza. Hamas fighters are better organized and motivated than those of Fatah, the party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Bush Administration sees Abbas as more moderate and flexible than the Islamists of Hamas: Tel Aviv intelligence sources tell TIME that the U.S. is putting pressure on Israel to open up Gaza's sealed frontiers to allow in shipments of Israeli weapons to fortify Fatah. But many Israeli intelligence officers doubt that a last-minute infusion of arms could tilt the balance away from Hamas, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says the Israeli military will not prop up Abbas' besieged troops.

With his control of Gaza crumbling, Abbas' only weapon is to pull out of the "unity" government with Hamas, saddling the Islamic militants with tighter international sanctions. It's a desperate tactic, but Hamas officials say they are in no mood to negotiate with Abbas. Gaza locals say Hamas has prepared a list of Fatah leaders to either arrest or execute, a move that would make a diplomatic compromise that much less likely.