The Palestinians are right in placing the overall blame for the present situation on the occupation: It is the occupation that determines the framework of an economic siege (which also existed before the intifada and before the establishment of the Hamas government), it is the occupation that has imprisoned the residents of Gaza in a huge holding pen since 1991, without any opportunities and without hope for improvement. The imprisonment is the cause of the widespread ignorance. The severance from the rest of the world only reinforces the loyalty to hamulas, including such acts as blood revenge, because in the absence of political and economic hope, the only source of support for the individual is once again the hamula.

But those Palestinians who are tired of hearing that the occupation is to blame are also right. A war of the security organs and a civil war are also the product of decisions and instructions by those who see themselves as leaders, and must therefore be aware of the results of their acts.

There is no point in asking "Who started?" (Fatah started with the armed provocations). In any case, the lethal confrontation stems from two ills both rivals share.

One is the cult of armed men and weapons, which has spread in Palestinian society and has silenced any attempt to discuss the huge damage the use of weapons has caused the struggle against the Israeli occupation. The other is the illusion that the Oslo process (or "democratic" elections in the shadow of the occupation) can enable a Palestinian party to govern, and that a Palestinian party is able to form a respectable government as is the case in an independent state.