By Andrew L. Jaffee

Hamas, supposedly a “religious”-based group, has banned all public prayers in the Gaza Strip — in an attempt to ban political dissent by Fatah. My, what a twisted web the Palestinians are weaving. “Fatah leaders say they have been forced to hold the public prayers in downtown Gaza City because they no longer feel welcome in Gaza’s mosques.” And the civil war between Hamas and Fatah continues, albeit at a lower decibel. More, from the JPost:

The Hamas on Tuesday banned public prayers in the Gaza Strip, moving to halt growing dissent by supporters of the rival Fatah movement.

Fatah supporters have held public prayers over the past two weeks in downtown Gaza City that have quickly turned into violent demonstrations against Hamas’s rule in Gaza. The demonstrations occurred on Fridays, when Muslims traditionally gather for prayers.

“The government decided to ban any gathering under the pretext of performing Friday prayers,” Hamas announced. “They went beyond the aim of prayers and they were used for the purpose of chaos, strife, rioting, and practicing terrorism. The government will take all necessary measures to support security and public order in Gaza.”

After weeks of silence, Fatah sympathizers have become increasingly bold in expressing displeasure with Hamas rule.

In the first public prayer session last month, Fatah worshippers marched to Hamas security compounds and threw stones, prompting security men to fire in the air to disperse the crowd.

Last week, Hamas forces beat and detained dozens of Fatah members. Hamas said it continues to hold about 60 “subverters,” many of whom have been unable to post the $250 bail. …