By Andrew L. Jaffee

For years we’ve heard calls for an independent Palestinian state, even though Palestinians have yet to prove they are ready for their own state. They sure have created a lot of terrorist chaos. They’ve been kicked out of Jordan, destroyed Lebanon, were kicked out of Kuwait, and have watched their leaders steal foreign aid money. Now we see them fighting a civil war and battling the Lebanese army, yet some still continue to call for the founding of “Palestine.” On what logical basis would such a state be established? With the current blood-feud raging between the Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah, the former taking control of Gaza, the later controlling the West Bank, will we start hearing calls for two independent (terrorist) states instead of one? This turf battle had been confined to Gaza, but is spreading to the West Bank, making it more likely that these territories will become two separate de facto states. As proof of how bad things are getting, here is what the AP reported from Gaza today — and please note what I’ve highlighted:

Hamas fighters launched a fierce offensive on Gaza City Wednesday, firing mortars and rockets at Fatah’s main security bases and the president’s compound as the Islamic group appeared close to taking control of the entire Gaza Strip.

With fighting raging on rooftops and streets in nearly all corners of Gaza, residents huddled in fear in their homes. … [Continues below…]

At least 15 people were killed in fighting Wednesday, bringing the total in four days of infighting to nearly 60. Among those killed Wednesday was a man shot when Hamas gunmen fired on a peaceful protest against the violence, witnesses said. …

Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas issued a joint statement after nightfall, calling on all sides “to halt fighting, and to return to language of dialogue and respect of agreements,” according to a statement from Abbas’ office. The call was broadcast on Palestinian TV.

Hamas radio denied the two had agreed to a truce, and clashes intensified in the hour after their statement was broadcast. …

The rout of the security forces was so bad that 40 Palestinian security officers broke through the border fence in Rafah and fled into Egypt seeking safety, Egyptian police said.

“What can I say? This is a fall, a collapse,” said Col. Nasser Khaldi, a senior police official in Rafah. …

In another dramatic battle in Gaza City, hundreds of members of the Fatah-allied Bakr clan, which had fought fiercely for two days, surrendered to masked Hamas gunmen and were led, arms raised, to a nearby mosque. Footage broadcast on Hamas’ Al Aqsa TV showed some of the Bakr women trying to enter the mosque. Hamas gunmen later drove off with some of the Bakr fighters, witnesses said.

Two women from the clan tried to leave the area to take a sick girl to a hospital and were shot and killed by jittery Hamas gunmen, a clan member said.

After nightfall, Hamas militants blew up the house of one of the Bakr clan’s leaders, witnesses said. …

“They are shooting at anyone and everyone who is Fatah,” said Youssef Abu Siyam, a Preventive Security officer in Rafah. …

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Related: Palestinians, Society, Terrorist Groups

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