Truce and Consequences

The Palestinians have decided that fighting each other is an alternative they're more than willing to engage in.

Egyptian mediators brokered a truce deal between rival factions in Gaza on Sunday in a bid to end the deadliest outbreak of factional fighting that killed four Palestinians and wounded a dozen.

A ceasefire announced by Hamas and Fatah leaders in Gaza seemed to have taken effect at least in part as agreed at 2200 GMT (0100 local time Monday). It was unclear how well the truce would hold as many previous deals have not lasted for long.

In keeping with the deal, both sides began to pull gunmen off the streets and to swap 14 hostages from Hamas being held by Fatah for at least six from Fatah held by Hamas, sources on both sides said.

But sporadic gunfire continued in parts of Gaza City and a rocket propelled grenade, possibly fired by one of the factions, struck a power station knocking out electricity to part of the city, witnesses said.

The deadliest fighting in a few weeks, that is.

At least four Palestinians were killed and 25 were wounded in clashes between Hamas and Fatah militiamen in different parts of the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

The fighting was said to be the worst since the two parties agreed to the formation of a unity government in Mecca in February.

Those killed included Suleiman al-Ishi, a senior editor of the new Falasteen daily. Another journalist from the paper, Muhammad Abdo, was seriously wounded.

Witnesses said the two were kidnapped by Fatah gunmen near the Ansar area, west of Gaza City, and shot at close range.

Fatah and Hamas thugs have had no problem shooting at each other just the other day, resulting in a dozen wounded. They've also been busy kidnapping each others forces. Fatah and Hamas are fighting with each other nearly as much as they're attempting to fight Israel - by firing rockets into Israel.

For Israel's part, they've delayed the Palestinian terrorist reckoning by eliminating the terrorist infrastructure and sending a message to the PA that they've lost. The Israelis continue to waiver on dealing with the Palestinian attacks against Israel as though they're not quite the acts of war that they are.

Israelis harmed by those rockets have decided that if they can't get the Israeli government to protect them, that they'll sue the Palestinian Authority instead.

What's next? Israelis having to sue the Syrians because Hizbullah has been busy again? Well, considering that Peretz is looking to engage the Syrians in diplomacy, that's exactly what we might see. Hizbullah continues to regroup and rearm since last summer's war and the UN, UNIFIL, and the Lebanese themselves have ignored UN SCR 1701 and 1559 to disarm Hizbullah. Syria has no problem with all this, since they get to reassert their dominion over a failed Lebanon.