After Israel and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the founder of Fatah, signed Oslo peace accords in 1993, Hamas capitalized on suicide bombings to undermine the peace talks with Israelis, which induced clampdown on its own forces by Fatah.
After Arafat passed away in 2004, Hamas became a large popular power on the Palestinian political map.
"Hamas movement, which is part of the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood movement, has its own strategy a long time ago, and itstarted to implement it at the beginning of the Intifada which erupted in September 2000," said Hani Habib, a Palestinian academic and political analyst.
He said the strategy is based on scraping up the largest popularity mainly by revealing the failure of ruling authorities "and then running in the elections" to replace the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
In 2005, Hamas took a strategic decision to run in the municipal and legislative elections in the Palestinian territories. Hamas defeated Fatah in most of the municipal councils in Gaza andthe West Bank and also scored a surprising victory in the legislative elections in January 2006.
"Winning in the municipal and legislative elections was expected for Hamas. There were many reasons that helped the movement to achieve a great victory, such as revealing the corruption of the Palestinian National Authority and leading the armed resistance against Israel," said Habib.
After Hamas movement won the elections, it started to implement the second phase of its strategy, namely to build up its rule with a police force capable to defend it.
In 2006, Hamas formed a unity government and a police force called the "executive force" which was largely rejected by rival Fatah movement.
Hamas consolidated its power step by step until it defeated Fatah-dominated security forces loyal to Abbas and took control ofthe whole Gaza Strip in June last year.
Over a year into Hamas' rule in Gaza, Hamas took tough actions to clip the wing of Fatah in the enclave and political cleavages that were under control through resistance against the Jewish state in the past 20 years finally filled out irreconcilable.
Fatah leader Ahmed Abdel Rahman accused Hamas movement of planning to establish an Islamic regime in the Palestinian territories and to take control of the West Bank currently in the reign of Fatah.
"The attack on Helles clan on Saturday and the actions that Hamas carried out against Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip show that it wants to establish an Islamic Emirate in Gaza," said Abdel Rahman.
He added "Hamas actions show that it doesn't want any dialogue with Fatah movement."
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2008)
