Hamas/Fatah

        Tensions between Hamas and Fatah mounted over the weekend as the Islamist movement organized demonstrations in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. The tensions have seen an ongoing crackdown on Hamas supporters in the West Bank by PA security forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas. Fatah, on the other hand, accused Hamas of detaining dozens of its supporters and activists in the Gaza Strip over the past few days. Addressing the demonstrators in Gaza City, Khalil al-Hayeh, a senior Hamas official, called on his followers in the West Bank to resist attempts by Abbas's men to arrest them. "We won't abandon our people in the West Bank to be tortured by the security forces belonging to the Ramallah leadership," he said. The Hamas official also warned Fatah supporters in Gaza against any attempt to cause trouble.(23,59)