Senior Fatah officials, including Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas, are reported to be increasingly frustrated at Israel‘s failure to allow large shipments of arms to reach Fatah forces fighting Hamas. With the Fatah-Hamas truce deteriorating, the intensity of fighting is expected to increase. ‘Abbas was quoted on Wednesday as saying that, "The legal organs of the Palestinian Authority have become weaker than the militias due to the lack of equipment." Israeli security chiefs are torn between two theories: the first, that Fatah can defeat Hamas if it receives outside support, including more weapons. The other, that because Fatah will certainly be defeated by Hamas it makes no sense to provide Fatah with weapons that will wind up in Hamas’ hands. The Bush administration favors supporting Fatah.
