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Last update - 08:46 25/06/2008
Attempted coup splits Hamas military wing in two
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: coup, internal fighting 

The Hamas military wing, Iz al-Din al-Qassam, has split into two groups after an attempt to depose its military commander, Ahmed Al-Jabari. Palestinian sources say the attempt to replace Al-Jabari with Imad Akal failed, but has split the organization into two camps: one led by Al-Jabari and the other by Akal.

Mohammed Deif, the former head of Iz al-Din al-Qassam, was behind the attempt, according to the sources.

The crisis in the Hamas military wing started, among other reasons, because of the long-standing disagreements and tension between Al-Jabari and the political leadership of Hamas in Gaza. But the tension exploded into the public eye as a result of the Hamas police's attempt to arrest members of the military group who were suspected of criminal activities. The Hamas militants resisted arrest, and the police and Iz al-Din al-Qassam members exchanged fire.
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The head of the Hamas police in Gaza, Taufik Jabar, who is not a Hamas member, asked one of the heads of the Hamas political side, Said Siam, to intervene and ask Al-Jabari to hand over the militants - but Al-Jabari refused.

After the refusal, Siam turned to Deif, who was considered Israel's most wanted man for years; he holds no official post, but Deif is still considered to be a symbol of the movement and one of the most respected activists by Hamas militants.

Siam asked him to arbitrate between the sides, examine the matter and make a decision. After a short time Deif announced that Akal would replace Al-Jabari, but he refused.

In recent weeks assassination attempts have been made against one of Al-Jabari's closest supporters, Ali Jundiyeh, and Gazans assume Akal is behind the attempts.

However, Hamas published an announcement that Jundiyeh was injured in a traffic accident. Another of Al-Jabari's men had a bomb planted near his home.

The military arm has suffered a number of splits and internal fights recently, which remind many of the earlier infighting among Fatah militias. According to the sources, Iz al-Din al-Qassam is divided, and there have been several attempts by commanders to kill their rivals to ensure they control an area or the organization's assets. In Khan Yunis, for example, for over a year there have been three local commanders, each of whom considers himself the chief in the region. In addition, senior Iz al-Din commanders have become more and more involved in criminal activities recently, and in particular in smuggling, which they control exclusively.

However, the split has not yet had an impact on the cease-fire with Israel, and all members have been strictly keeping it, despite a debate among Hamas political leaders over the issue.

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      1.   Hahaha 05:41  |  Murray the Mongoose 25/06/08
      2.   Good bit of news. 06:05  |  Gina 25/06/08
      3.   The Palestinians problem is power struggle & Israel is 06:32  |  Akram Zekaria 25/06/08
      4.   I WISH BOTH SIDES GOOD LUCK 06:52  |  judith 25/06/08
      5.   Just another normal day in Gaza 07:31  |  Dan 25/06/08
      6.   sadly typical 07:36  |  David g 25/06/08
      7.   Leftist excuse to justify "cease fire" violations? 08:05  |  Binyamin Dissen 25/06/08
      8.   Pal Gangs 08:45  |  Steve 25/06/08
      9.   A "NEW" play RESTAGED by TERRORISTS in gaza 08:57  |  CK Tan 25/06/08
      10.   Are they going to compete on who is tougher towards Israel 09:27  |  PETER SM 25/06/08
      11.   Looks LIke We Got `em, Too 09:30  |  Michael 25/06/08
      12.   A "NEW" play RESTAGED by TERRORISTS in gaza (3x) 09:47  |  CK Tan 25/06/08
      13.   How to have a civil war without being civil 10:06  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/06/08
      14.   Hammas Fatah differences? 10:14  |  Ofer 25/06/08
      15.   ideal fishing grounds for the shin bet 11:05  |  meir 25/06/08
      16.   correction the shin bet head is yuval diskin 11:09  |  meir 25/06/08
      17.   NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT CONFLICT 11:14  |  indrajaya 25/06/08
      18.   All the AL`s in Gaza 11:31  |  DR D 25/06/08
      19.   #11 Margie in Tel Aviv. Teaching to hate. 11:38  |  Maureen Ann 25/06/08
      20.   mohammed DEIF is not an activist he is a terrorist/massmurderer!! 11:44  |  arthur 25/06/08
      21.   Good advice to all mothers and young women in Gaza 11:45  |  Jew- and Bookburner 25/06/08
      22.   Can Israel somehow lay a hand 11:50  |  TonyL 25/06/08
      23.   Brancaleone`s Army 11:59  |  ScotGuy 25/06/08
      24.   I blame Israel for all this infighting and coup attempts 12:27  |  Dutch 25/06/08
      25.   could end up being a good thing in the long run! 12:27  |  eric 25/06/08
      26.   BIRTH of a MODERATE peace PARTNER redux (4x) 12:31  |  CK Tan 25/06/08
      27.   Yes a very good thing eric, when their usual discussions 13:43  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/06/08
      28.   13 Dutch,greetings! I read that from day one of the truce israel 13:47  |  lakshmi 25/06/08
      29.   THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR HAMAS 14:05  |  Igor D. 25/06/08
      30.   Thank you Dutch #13 14:07  |  Shlomo 25/06/08
      31.   The Dutch dumb and his Israel-bashing 14:13  |  Hastaroth 25/06/08
      32.   How is this a "coup attempt"? 14:17  |  Johnboy 25/06/08
      33.   Attempted coup splits Hamas military wing in two 14:26  |  American Realist 25/06/08
      34.   So many coups, so little time 14:38  |  Lynn 25/06/08
      35.   #13 Dutch 14:59  |  John Allen 25/06/08
      36.   johnboy your language is at fault 15:00  |  zebulun 25/06/08
      37.   # 16 lakshmi...they weren`t in Gaza. 15:21  |  Lynn 25/06/08
      38.   Hamas: you reap what you sow -- as you did to your brothers from 15:21  |  fathawi from beyond 25/06/08
      39.   Criminal Activities in Hamas?? 15:23  |  * BEN JABO 25/06/08
      40.   Extortions From Unstable People Can Only Have Unstable Results. 15:26  |  Joseph.E 25/06/08
      41.   #17 and that would be a good thing for the Pals 15:28  |  Lynn 25/06/08
      42.   to 13: Dutch 15:56  |  Palestinian in UK 25/06/08
      43.   #34 Zevulan, your logic is faulty 15:59  |  Johnboy 25/06/08
      44.   Charity funding at risk 16:00  |  utagawa 25/06/08
      45.   Lies, criminal activities, internal fights 16:04  |  Mustafa Halil 25/06/08
      46.   Let see -its the 20th spli-- to us it is all the same PLO gang 16:08  |  Sal 25/06/08
      47.   Nothing Special About Indrayagagaga 16:24  |  Tex 25/06/08
      48.   #32 - So, it`s not a coup... 16:27  |  JES 25/06/08
      49.   SURPRISE,SURPRISE,Dutch blames hamASSes inability to act like 16:32  |  terrornator 25/06/08
      50.   johnboy you clearly stated that coups were made 16:42  |  zebulun 25/06/08
      51.   Meshal bites his tonge and dies poisoned... 16:43  |  Ulf 25/06/08
      52.   I don`t buy this analysis 17:03  |  Palestinian 25/06/08
      53.   ISRAEL HAS BECOME TOO FAT TO MOVE FORWARD 17:20  |  indrajaya 25/06/08
      54.   If We`re Lucky They`ll All Kill Each Other 17:26  |  Jane 25/06/08
      55.   Indrajaya 17:31  |  Avrum 25/06/08
      56.   Indrajaya 17:31  |  Avrum 25/06/08
      57.   Indrajaya 17:31  |  Avrum 25/06/08
      58.   # 54, JANE 17:31  |  indrajaya 25/06/08
      59.   Issacharoff is more confused than Hamas 17:40  |  Tosefta 25/06/08
      60.   Call in the DJ. Lets the party start . 18:03  |  TOMY 25/06/08
      61.   Maureen Ann 18:11  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/06/08
      62.   Lynn,Dutch and Palestinian in U.K.,there is no evidence that the 18:14  |  lakshmi 25/06/08
      63.   # 59, TOSEFTA 18:33  |  indrajaya 25/06/08
      64.   Lakshmi 62-source for your blood libel? 18:36  |  Stephen in New York 25/06/08
      65.   # 14 Ofer No Diferrence and Fatah.and Hamas,Just wish ... 18:39  |  KATHY 25/06/08
      66.   # 21 Jew-and Bookburner..Good advice,But I suggest an even better 18:45  |  KATHY 25/06/08
      67.   #23 Scotguy.Well Some do,and we know who they are. 18:50  |  KATHY 25/06/08
      68.   johnboy 43 apart from your indifferent english the rest 19:10  |  zebulun 25/06/08
      69.   Two ? That must be a lie ! 19:20  |  Akram Zekaria 25/06/08
      70.   #59 - Tosefta, I disagree 19:48  |  JES 25/06/08