Is Hamas on the verge of a split?
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 4/6/1998

Whether Hamas is on the verge of a serious collapse or whether present reports on internal fighting within the rank and file of the Islamic Resistance Movement are a bit exaggerated is yet to judge.

But the announcement made by the Palestinian government that the movement's top bomb maker Mohyiddin Sharif was killed by fellow opponents within the movement has boosted this theory. The Palestinian government secretary general Tayyeb Abdul Rahim, who is also the chief liaison officer between the Palestinian government and Hamas, said on Monday that the killing of Sharif was part of an internal war within the movement. He did not elaborate.

The Palestinian government now officially says that Adel Awadallah, another leading member of the military wing of Hamas, is the chief suspect in the killing of Sharif. Awadallah, said the Palestinian government, killed Sharif in part of their feud on who is the boss within the military wing, better known as the Brigades of Izziddin Al Qassam. Hamas categorically denied the Palestinian government allegations and said it was Israel who stood behind the assassination of he chief bomb maker of the movement.

The parents of Sharif, whose body was found last Sunday in a wrecked car that blasted in the town of Beitounya near Ramallah, heard from Palestinian President Yasser Arafat details of the ongoing investigation into the killing of their son. The Palestinian government, said Arafat, is very much interested in maintaining the safety of every Palestinian living in its areas. He added that the investigation would continue until everything that surrounded the mysterious killing of Sharif is unveiled.

Palestinian Preventive Security Commander in the West Bank, Colonel Jibril Rajoub, was the first who announced that Sharif's body was riddled with three bullets before it was detonated along with the car. Rajoub said his forces had arrested a number of suspects who may have been involved in the killing of Sharif. He said the interrogation with some of those suspects had led to positive results and added the results of the interrogation, which was conducted by the Palestinian government without any intervention by the Israelis, will soon be published.

He said President Arafat will brief a number of parties concerned with the details of the interrogation, including Jordan, Egypt, the US and Israel.

The explosion at first was believed to be working accident, meaning that Sharif may have been killed as a bomb he allegedly worked on blasted in his hands. But a few days later, Rajoub was the first to uncover the fact that the body had three bullet holes, raising suspicion that Sharif might have been killed by Israeli Shin Bet agents who decided to detonate a car along with his body to divert attention from the right track of interrogation and to lead Palestinian investigators to believe that he was blown up to death. It was only after a number of suspects were arrested, mostly members of Hamas, that the Palestinian security apparatus spotted a new direction in their investigation.

A leading Hamas member in the Gaza Strip had also hinted to the fact that Sharif was killed first and then his body blown up in the car. Dr. Abdul Aziz Rantisi told the Israeli English daily "Jerusalem Post" that Sharif was first interrogated, tortured and then shot dead and only afterwards his body was taken to the car which was later detonated. The Post printed the interview with Rantisi and attributed to him direct accusations that the Palestinian security apparatus was responsible for the killing of Sharif. Tension rose between the Palestinian government and Hamas and Rantisi had to come out with a press release on Sunday saying he was misquoted in the interview. Even the daily's stringer who conducted the interview admitted that Rantisi never hinted throughout the whole interview that the Palestinian government was responsible for Sharif's death. Said Rantisi: "There are a number of questions about the death of Sharif. Somebody interrogated him under torture, shot him, and as they could not conceal the torture they blew him up."

One of the points Rantisi raised in the interview was the fact that a number of Hamas members were arrested by the Palestinian Preventive Security though in theory the movement is the victim in this case. But later, as it became known that Hamas members were suspected of killing Sharif, the reason for the arrest campaign in Ramallah was clear.

But why would Hamas members plot against a mythological leader who obtained Engineer No. 2 title? Informed sources believe the rift within Hamas is increasing mainly between the political leadership of the movement. There are many in the movement who believe they should return to the old form of activity under the name of Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic movement that is spread all over the Arab world. Sheikh Jamal Mansour, one of Hamas West Bank leaders, was lately quoted as saying that his leadership is the one in Amman, Jordan, and that he does not consider Sheikh Ahmed Yassin to be his direct leader.

Hamas leaders in Jordan have in fact taken a somehow independent stand which allowed them to maintain close relations with the monarchy without having to compromise much of their teachings and theories. But Hamas' leadership is not only based in Jordan but also in Syria, Sudan and even in Iran. It is in those three countries that hard-line statements by Hamas are issued while Hamas in the Palestinian territories seems to be taking a political line that is characterized as pragmatic rather than dogmatic.

According to one reliable source, a Hamas member who is currently held by the Palestinian government is the chief suspect in the killing of Sharif. His name, according to informed sources, is Abdullah Bakri, who allegedly worked closely with Sharif over the past few months. Bakri is currently in Palestinian custody and he reportedly told his interrogators that Sharif promised to nominate him to take his place in the movement. "Bakri may have been working closely with Awadallah out of his eagerness to become a prominent leader in Hamas and that perhaps led him to plot the assassination of Sharif but still the whole question is being investigated," said the sources.

Previous Stories:
  Israel violated a 7-month ceasefire with Hamas   (4/3/1998)
  Sheikh Yassin leads Hamas towards moderation   (1/31/1998)
  Sheikh Ahmed Yassin refuses to meet Netanyahu   (1/23/1998)

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