By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

A Fatah official in Ramallah on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Hamas and described its leaders as "criminals."

Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on condition of anonymity, the Fatah official denounced Hamas as a "black and bloody militia" that was responsible for the "catastrophe" in the Gaza Strip.

The official warned that failure to crush Hamas completely would undermine Fatah and pave the way for the collapse of moderate Arab regimes.

He said that Hamas was fighting on behalf of Iran and Syria - the only two countries that have been supplying the movement with weapons and money.

"The Iranians and Syrians are using Hamas to undermine the Palestinian Authority and other moderate Arab governments," the Fatah official told the Post. "Victory for Hamas in this war would mean victory for Iran, Syria and Hizbullah. This is something we need to prevent."

The official expressed hope that the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip would revolt against Hamas when the IDF operation ended. He also expressed hope that Hamas leaders Mahmoud Zahar and Ismail Haniyeh would be tried before a Palestinian court as "war criminals." The Hamas leaders, he charged, were responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent Palestinians. "Ever since they came to power, they brought death and destruction to our people."

Hamas in Gaza declares victory over Israel "close"

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"We confirm to our people that victory is closer than ever," the statement read.


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http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKTRE50B5H920090112