Palestine - The Gaza Strip and Hamas

Inside Gaza - calm returns at end of a gun

In the spacious, top-floor office of Gaza's former police chief, the television was tuned to al-Aqsa TV, the Hamas channel, and at lunchtime half a dozen well-armed, bearded Hamas commanders rose in unison and knelt in prayer.

On the streets there were no policemen to be seen. Instead, across the city stood small groups of Hamas gunmen, some in uniform, others not.

Directing the traffic were Hamas "volunteers", unarmed and wearing green baseball caps and fluorescent yellow jackets, each marked the Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas.

Hamas might be a bunch of idiots but it is not surprising they would start sorting out the criminal gangs.

Now if Hamas don't start firing rockets into Israel and play along ruling the Gaza Strip then ok, but as soon as they start up again Israel will be in there as fast as possible and this time they will know that anyone with a gun is Hamas.

The quartet are wasting their time backing Fatah, who are discredited in many Palestinian eyes.