The Palestinian Authority is teetering on collapse after Hamas declared victory in Gaza, executing captured Fatah leaders accused of collaborating with Israel. The Palestinian government was dissolved by President Mahmoud Abbas while Fatah militants in the West Bank ominously rounded up Hamas supporters.
An Israeli intervention in Gaza is considered imminent. "The era of justice and Islamic rule has arrived," a Hamas leader declared in a radio broadcast. Hamas is an ally of Iran and Syria and their victory is seen as a painful setback for the pro-western regimes in the region, including Jordan, Egypt and, Saudi Arabia. (More Gaza stories.)