“The more we make things difficult on the occupation, the more we confront and harm it, the more we can thwart its policies.”
Last year saw the worst violence in the West Bank in more than a decade as the army carried out near-daily raids on cities such as Nablus and Jenin following deadly attacks by Palestinians in Israel.
More than 160 Palestinians were killed as Israeli forces stepped up their campaign and young fighters, disillusioned with old-style Palestinian movements such as Fatah, formed new groups such as the “Den of Lions” in Nablus.
resistance hardened
The sight of teenage gunmen in war gear firing into the air at funerals or brandishing their weapons at impromptu rallies became a familiar sight last year as opposition to Israel’s crackdown hardened.
Rivalry among myriad armed militant groups has long hindered Palestinian hopes of taking on Israel’s powerful military, but efforts are increasing to iron out differences or at least file paperwork.
“The sons of Fatah, the sons of Hamas, the sons of Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front are working together in unprecedented resistance formations,” Mamar said.
“The Den of Lions, the Jenin Brigades, formations where people from all Palestinian factions are working together,” he said.
The reality behind such announcements is that the moment is not ideal for Hamas, which analysts say is busy grappling with tough economic challenges in Gaza, an overcrowded coastal enclave cut off from both Israel and Egypt. Where unemployment is more than 50 percent.
Under Israeli policies designed to create an economic security incentive, 20,000 Gazans are allowed to cross into Israel for work. Gaza analyst Talal Okal said, “These people will not forgive Hamas if they lose their jobs.”
“Hamas’ principle, I believe, is to maintain relative peace in Gaza in exchange for (economic) reform while mounting resistance against Israeli occupation of the West Bank,” he said, referring to potentially better access to jobs in Israel. and economic blockade referring to an easing.
With Fatah leader and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas now well into his 80s, Hamas also has its eyes on a future in the West Bank, where it has been largely excluded from a formal political role.
Born out of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in the late 1980s, Hamas took power in Gaza in 2006, defeating Fatah in elections.
