New Islamic State born

Hamas Orders Rivals to Surrender as Gaza Falls Under Its Control - Paul Martin and Sonia Verma

Hamas' most spectacular attack was the detonation of a one-ton tunnel bomb under a Fatah security headquarters in Khan Yunis. The ambush, which was apparently weeks in the planning, killed at least six and appeared to give Hamas control of the strategic southern town.

Hamas taking control of Gaza has terrified its secular residents, who fear that Islamist rule will be imposed.
(Times-UK)

UPDATES: June 15, 2007

Arabs Fear Spread of Gaza Conflict - Lee Keath
"Gaza is steadily turning into a failed mini-state," wrote Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of Al-Quds Al-Arabi. "And in failed states, extremism breeds and spreads."
Arab states fear a Hamas-run Gaza could become a power center for the group's allies Iran and Syria.
(Washington Post)

Fundamentalists Threaten Israel from All Sides - Con Coughlin
Hamas is trying to replicate Hizbullah's success in Gaza, not a pleasing prospect for Israel, which now faces the threat of having two Iranian-backed, Islamic fundamentalist organizations dedicated to its destruction camped on its northern and southern borders.
(Telegraph-UK)

Hamas Takeover in Gaza Makes Defining Targets Easier for IDF - Yaakov Katz
Some Israeli defense officials said there was reason to be thankful for Hamas' takeover of Gaza. Prior to this, Israel had to distinguish between Fatah and Hamas gunmen in Gaza and make sure that Abbas loyalists were not targeted. Now, all gunmen are Hamas and therefore fair game. "

"Hamas is a clear and defined enemy, and that means that when we decide to respond it will be easier than before, since all their buildings are now targets, as is anyone walking around with a weapon."
(Jerusalem Post)

From Gang Wars to Delegitimization - Editorial
Most of the Palestinian people and all their many Arab supporters find this, an act of juvenile political immaturity at best, and depraved criminality at worst. Whether these gunmen think they are acting in the name of God or a nationalist revolution is beyond any reasonable credibility, because their actions in recent months have deeply scarred the powerful authenticity and legitimacy of the Palestinian cause.
(Daily Star-Lebanon)

The Consequences of the Civil War in Gaza - Shmuel Rosner
After Ariel Sharon pulled Israel out of Gaza two years ago, Israel didn't get the security it wished for; the daily shelling of Israeli towns continued and even intensified.
However, he did succeed in transforming Gaza from an Israeli headache into a Palestinian problem.
(Slate)

Hamastan - Barry Rubin
Unwilling to make peace and uninterested in governing well, Fatah dug its own grave. Why should anyone be surprised that Hamas replaced it?

Let's get this straight: There is no near-term solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. There is no Palestinian side with which a compromise agreement can be negotiated. Western and especially U.S. policy must get beyond an obsession with solving this conflict. It is going to go on for decades.

Hamas will not be persuaded to moderate - why should it when it expects victory at home and appeasement from Europe? Hamas is the enemy, just as much as al-Qaeda, because it is part of the radical Islamist effort to seize control of the region, overthrow anything even vaguely moderate, and expel any Western influence.

It is time to support Israel proudly and fully. Israel has done everything possible for peace, taking great risks to do so.
(Wall Street Journal, 15Jun07)