The fruition of violence

The fragile coalition government which had held the tensions between Hamas and Fatah in check, seems doomed to dissolve under the intense pressures it faces.
Meanwhile Hamas as ended its self declared truce after Israeli soldiers killed nine Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank earlier in the week. The Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, launching nearly 100 rockets into Israel. No casualties resulted, but the IDF is poised to retaliate and Prime Minister Olmert has ordered what Israeli officials are calling limited military action in Gaza.
Finally, Nadia Hijab examines the factors which have contributed to the current fruition of violence and asks how can the Gaza ceacefire be rescued?
- Posted by Nick Alexandra, Co-Editor

Palestinian Government Shows Strains as Interior Minister Seeks to Quit
By Scott Wilson,Washington Post
April 24, 2007
The first cracks in the Palestinian unity government appeared Monday when the independent interior minister, who has been trying to tame lawlessness in the Gaza Strip, submitted his resignation. Hani al-Qawasmeh, the consensus choice for the post in a power-sharing government that brings together the Islamic Hamas and secular Fatah movements, has told Palestinian officials he is frustrated by a lack of cooperation from Fatah-controlled security forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas fighters end Israel truce
BBC Online
24 April 2007
The armed wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement has said it is ending its five-month truce with Israel. Earlier in the day the group launched a sustained barrage of rockets and mortars into Israel, the first such attack since November. The group, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said the attacks were in revenge for recent killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces.

Israel vows response to Gaza fire
BBC Online
April 25, 2007
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ordered what officials called limited military action in Gaza after renewed rocket fire by Palestinian militants.

Beit Hanoun fears Israeli raid
By Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera
April 26, 2007
GAZA - There has been a recent spike in Israeli military raids across the Palestinian territories. Nine Palestinians have died in Israeli raids since last weekend despite a ceasefire between Israel and armed Palestinian factions agreed last November.

How Can the Gaza Ceasefire Be Rescued?
By Nadia Hijab, Institute for Palestinian Studies
Number 15, April 24, 2007
The "low" level of violence between Israel and the Palestinians since the Gaza ceasefire on 26 November 2006 had reached alarming totals even before this weekend's escalation left nine Palestinians dead and led Hamas to end the ceasefire. The Institute's Senior Fellow Nadia Hijab shows how the missed opportunity to extend the Gaza ceasefire to the West Bank and the slow motion nature of negotiations have both helped to undermine diplomatic efforts.