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The Palestinian people deserve much better than this. That their two main political organisations, Hamas and Fatah, have been engaged in a bitter internal rift for a year now has meant that the people's needs and concerns have been pushed aside.
As if the brutal Israeli occupation and daily oppression caused by it isn't problematic enough, Palestinians are now facing daily arrests and abuse by Palestinians. Both factions are employing tit-for-tat tactics at the expense of their people.
It is reported that there has been a dramatic rise in abuses by Fatah and Hamas this week. Two human rights groups have decried the use of torture by both factions. This highlights the deep tensions in Gaza and the West Bank. Representatives from Hamas and Fatah have acknowledged "failings" and say the problems are being dealt with.
While this is going on, Palestinians remain in a conflict with Israel, which undoubtedly, is benefiting from their current weakness. Little progress, if any, has been made on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations front and with the Bush administration more or less admitting that there isn't going to be a Palestinian state by the end George W. Bush's second term, it seems solving the conflict is no longer a priority.
Officials from Hamas were in Cairo yesterday for talks with Egyptian officials on ways to end their year-long rift with Fatah as well as prisoner exchange with Israel. Palestinians have to help themselves and sort their differences once and for all before moving on to other issues.
Both factions should make it a top priority to put an end to the escalating situation in the Palestinian Occupied Territories and return to the real issue: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The fact remains, there is an ongoing illegal occupation by the Jewish state, which has deprived the people of their basic rights.
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