Israel Matzav

Oh goodie! Hamas blames Fatah for Siam liquidation

The Jerusalem Post's Khaled Abu Toameh reports that Hamas is blaming Fatah for the liquidation of Said Siam (pictured) by the IDF last week.

Salah Bardaweel, a Hamas legislator and spokesman, accused Abbas of playing a "major role" in the assassination of Siam and the military offensive against Hamas.

Siam was considered one of Fatah's fiercest enemies in the Gaza Strip. His Fatah rivals held him responsible for the death of dozens of Fatah members when Hamas seized full control over the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007.

Upon hearing of Siam's death, several Fatah representatives in the West Bank expressed deep satisfaction, while others openly rejoiced. Fatah-controlled news Web sites published comments from Fatah supporters who went as far as thanking Defense Minister Ehud Barak for ordering the assassination of the top Hamas official.

Bardaweel claimed that Abbas loyalists in the Gaza Strip had been spying on Hamas leaders and members on the instructions of senior Fatah leaders in the West Bank.

He said that the information had been passed on to Israel so that it could launch attacks on Hamas members and institutions in the Gaza Strip.

"Abbas has been participating in the last [Israeli] military operation through his men in the Gaza Strip, who have been pointing out the homes of Hamas members," Bardaweel said. "We have no doubt that Abbas and his agents were involved in the assassination of Siam."

Bardaweel also claimed that Hamas had captured - during raids on the homes of Fatah activists - maps and other documents that detailed the locations of Hamas institutions and the addresses of some of the movement's top leaders.

"We arrested some of these Fatah people and they admitted that they had been gathering information at the request of the Fatah leadership in Ramallah," Bardaweel said. "They even provided us with the names of their Fatah handlers who were then passing on the information to Israel."

When Operation Cast Lead began three weeks ago, Hamas accused Abbas and Fatah of "collusion" with Israel. But this is the first time since then that Hamas has accused Abbas and his loyalists of helping Israel in its war against the movement.

If Fatah had anything to do with it, they're not admitting it.

In response to the allegations, Fatah officials in Ramallah said that Siam was killed thanks to information passed to Israel by one of his bodyguards.

"Hamas has been infiltrated by the Israelis for a long time," one official told The Jerusalem Post. "Hamas is full of spies and corrupt people who are prepared to do anything in return for a few hundred shekels."

Is another 'Palestinian' civil war coming? Bet on it.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:23 AM