The Palestinian Central Council on Friday called upon Fatah and Hamas to dissolve their militias and approved President Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to form an emergency government excluding Hamas.
The Fatah-dominated and -appointed 129-member Council is an organ of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) rather than the Palestinian Authority established in the mid-nineties to rule the West Bank.
By turning to the Council, Mr Abbas has suspended the elected legislature which has a Hamas majority and, in effect, sidelined the constitution, completing the coup d’etat he mounted in response to Hamas’ military takeover of the Gaza Strip with a population of 1.4 million.
In a major address on Wednesday evening, Mr Abbas condemned Hamas as a “terrorist” entity, accused it of plotting to assassinate him, said that its actions had plunged Gaza into “darkness”, and rejected dialogue with the movement. Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri responded by saying the president’s words were “inappropriate” and castigated him for rejecting conciliation and dialogue.

Risky step
Mr Abbas’ strategy of ruling by degree and forming an emergency government is risky.  Many Palestinians, including members of Fatah, say this strategy has been imposed on him by Israel and the US, which are regarded as enemies.
Palestinians prefer a national unity government over a Fatah administration. They argue Palestinians cannot afford major divisions at a time Israel is swallowing up the West Bank. They are not convinced that Fatah, a party mired in corruption and mismanagement, can disarm and disband its own out-of-control armed factions or those of Hamas and govern effectively.
Fatah is not united behind Mr Abbas. Senior members of the Old Guard, who served under Yasser Arafat, have taken a hardline toward Hamas. But the Young Guard, headed by Marwan Barghouti, a leading grass-roots figure imprisoned by Israel, opposes isolating Hamas and Gaza.
Furthermore, Barghouti, Fatah’s own Revolutionary Council and Fatah figures remaining in Gaza insist that Mr Abbas dismiss Muhammad Dahlan, his security adviser who heads the Preventive Security agency in Gaza.
They blame him for the Gaza debacle and demand that he and his lieutenants be held accountable.  

Unhealthy struggle
The power struggle within Fatah, which has been on for more than a decade, could weaken the movement at the moment it needs to be united and strong. Mr Abbas requires firm domestic backing for his controversial and unconstitutional actions while he negotiates with Israel and the US over key demands.