The Jerusalem Post quotes a Fatah official:
"The Iranians and Syrians are using Hamas to undermine the Palestinian Authority and other moderate Arab governments," the Fatah official told the Post. "Victory for Hamas in this war would mean victory for Iran, Syria and Hizbullah. This is something we need to prevent."
The official expressed hope that the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip would revolt against Hamas when the IDF operation ended. He also expressed hope that Hamas leaders Mahmoud Zahar and Ismail Haniyeh would be tried before a Palestinian court as "war criminals." The Hamas leaders, he charged, were responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent Palestinians. "Ever since they came to power, they brought death and destruction to our people."
If Israel resists international pressure to cease its operations against Hamas, and the president-elect continues the president's policy towards the Israeli offensive against Hamas, the terrorists' grip on Gaza could be broken, and with it the way opened for a two-state solution. (See Jeffrey Goldberg's note on this.)
Iran seems to understand its peril, and is urging Hamas to refuse a cease-fire that would open Gaza to Fatah's return. If Iran loses its puppet in Gaza, the hold on south Lebanon will also appear reversible. And with oil at under $50 a barrel, how long can the mullahs keep their own impoverished and oppressed people down?
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