Middle East Online reports four fighters were killed by Israel yesterday. Apparently tension is rising between Hamas and the other resistance groups who claim Hamas is going soft.
GAZA CITY - The Hamas rulers of Gaza -- the site of a deadly gun battle on Tuesday -- fear an escalation of violence could bring a crushing Israeli response but do not want to be seen by rivals as having given up the armed struggle, observers say.
In recent months Hamas has claimed to have reached an agreement with other fighters to halt rocket attacks on southern Israel, but according to Israeli figures 77 rockets and mortar shells were fired in the first three months of the year.
And on Tuesday, four Palestinians were killed and two wounded in a firefight in central Gaza between Israeli troops and fighters of the Islamic Jihad, a smaller group than Hamas.
There are indications that conflicts are simmering between Hamas and armed groups, who reject the unofficial period of calm that has prevailed since the 2008-2009 Gaza war.
Hamas has done little to test the mostly right-wing Israeli government that came to power a year ago as Israel has warned of massive retaliation should there be a return to the near-daily attacks that preceded the war.
At the same time, however, Hamas faces an internal challenge from groups that have accused it of going soft.
On Monday, Islamic Jihad said Hamas briefly detained four of its fighters to prevent them from attacking Israeli troops, a stinging criticism for Hamas, which views itself as the vanguard of the armed struggle. more
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