Since the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections in January 2006 the two factions have been at odds with each other. While the "unity" government was dominated by Hamas --- the "Preventive Security Force" (PSF) was under the control of Fatah's Mohammed Dahlan, the Security Chief of Mahmoud Abbas. The body (Hamas) was not in control of the arm (PSF). It was a classic recipe for disaster.

Weeks of unrest for supremacy between Hamas and Fatah and brutal bloodletting in Gaza have left scores dead and hundreds injured. Gaza is now under full control of Hamas -- law and order restored. Fatah is in charge of the West Bank, where Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has his Headquarters in Ramallah. When Hamas overran Fatah strongholds in Gaza on June 15, Abbas dismissed the Hamas dominated Palestinian Authority, led by Ismail Haniyeh. A state of emergency was also declared in Gaza and the West Bank. Mahmoud Abbas appointed Western educated Dr. Salam Fayyad as the prime minister of the emergency government.

The invisible and visible hands, which are engaged in the Middle East puppet show have been laid bare. Hamas, a Sunni militant group, draws its support from Shia Iran, the Lebanese Hezbollah, Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood spread across the entire region. Fatah, the moderate Sunni group, gets direct backing from neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, as also from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States --- all close allies of the US.

The capitulation of Mahmoud Abbas under pressure from the West has effectively terminated the democratic experiment in Palestine. Not because Hamas has failed, but because it was not allowed to function. The Palestinians do indeed value democracy and demonstrated in January 2006 that they too can conduct free and fair elections, under the hawkish eyes of international observers. But once the election results were announced the West turned its back, rejecting the legally constituted Palestinian Government led by Hamas. Hamas is accused of being a "terrorist" outfit and every possible sanction and embargo were piled on it so that it capitulates and disintegrates.

The Zionist design was to fragment the Palestinian movement into several factions, pitch one against the other -- instigate a power struggle and weaken the movement to such an extent that it cannot articulate its demands forcefully. That goal has been achieved by the Zionists. Gazans, completely deprived of all minimum basic needs of life, may now be forced to think twice on the idea of an independent Palestine. The Zionist "divide and rule" policy has come into full play in the occupied areas of Palestine.

The Sharm el Sheik Summit of the four leaders on June 25 -- Hosni Mubarak (Egypt), King Abdullah II (Jordan), Ehud Olmert (Israel) and Mahmoud Abbas (Palestinian Authority) -- was clearly designed to bolster Mahmoud Abbas. The release of Palestinian tax funds by Israel -- some $600 million -- for Mahmoud Abbas is a clear evidence of that policy. The funds were frozen by Israel when Hamas won the PLC elections in January 2006. The West has already recognized the Fayyad government and has pledged all support to him. Ismail Haniyeh is in the doghouse -- at least for now.

Palestinians in Gaza feel that Abbas has betrayed the Palestinian cause. Haniyeh reacted angrily to the release of funds to Abbas saying that the money belonged to all Palestinians and not just those in the West Bank. He castigated the Summit saying that only resistance shall achieve the Palestinian nation. The question is whether Abbas will be able to re-establish control and spend the money in Gaza. Gaza, now known as an open-air-prison, is in a critically desperate situation. To discredit Hamas, Abbas may be tempted to spend a trickle and teach the Gazans a lesson for supporting Hamas.

The fear is that Gazans may continue to cling to Hamas by suffering more miseries and make a complete break with Ramallah, the Headquarters of Mahmoud Abbas. Iran has already announced its readiness to help Hamas with funds necessary to ease the sufferings of Gazans. Two leaders with two geographical areas under their respective control -- that could be the end of the Palestinian national movement.

The Sharm Summit was not designed to talk about the future of Palestine or the Road Map. It has achieved nothing except the open Israeli support for Abbas. The Palestinian movement seems to have lost its sense of direction. Important questions like whether the PA represents the aspirations of the Palestinians and can carry their people towards their cherished goal of nationhood loom larger than ever. The reason why Palestinians have clung to Hamas is because of their disillusionment with the Palestinian Authority.

For the West and Israel nothing could be more gratifying than the current situation in Palestine. Israel is free of worries. The fratricide between Fatah and Hamas has left a gaping wound, which Israel will exploit to its advantage. It will never allow the two factions to unite. It can handle the ineffective Qassam rockets with impunity with guided missile attacks against Hamas "terrorists" in Gaza -- and the first likely target could be Ismail Haniyeh. Driven into a corner Hamas may be forced to launch attacks on Israel, which in turn shall invite Israeli incursions into Gaza leading to the destruction of Hamas.

What is distressing is that the great Arab League, which was created in 1945 to resolve the Palestinian issue, sits on the sidelines issuing useless statements of intentions and not getting the Arab countries together to act for a just and durable settlement of the crisis.

Peace in the Middle East can only be achieved when the West and Israel start treating Palestinians as human beings and not as clay birds for shooting. The dirty policies of the West have left the Palestinians bitterly divided. A divided people can never achieve anything -- certainly not nationhood. After sixty years of bloody sacrifice the Palestinians seem to be at the same square where they began. Abbas and Haniyeh shall do well to bear in mind the old adage: "United you stand, divided you fall."

Mahmood Hasan is a former Ambassador and Secretary.