Hamas forbids Fatah to "bring flowers to the sick"
Fatah declared "illegal organization" by Hamas in Gaza
The Hamas-Fatah rift is intensifying. Hamas in Gaza now forbids Fatah not only military activities, but even social and humanitarian activities done in the name of the Fatah movement. Today's Palestinian Authority daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that even bringing a bouquet of roses to a sick person in hospital is prohibited if it is done in the name of Fatah.
The following are translations from this article:
The Hamas-Fatah rift is intensifying. Hamas in Gaza now forbids Fatah not only military activities, but even social and humanitarian activities done in the name of the Fatah movement. Today's Palestinian Authority daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that even bringing a bouquet of roses to a sick person in hospital is prohibited if it is done in the name of Fatah.
The following are translations from this article:
Headline: "Hamas declares Fatah in Gaza an illegal organization and prevents its social and humanitarian activities"
"Sources within the Fatah movement in Gaza said that Hamas has announced to activists and members of the Fatah movement in Gaza that it is an "illegal organization" and threatened them with kidnapping and torture should any activities on behalf of the [Fatah] movement be carried out in the [Gaza] Strip, even in the case of humanitarian activities.
"The [Fatah] movement has revealed that Hamas has summoned a number of Fatah activists for interrogation and warned them of the consequences of helping any sick or wounded [person] or expressing consolation to any person, if they identify themselves as members of the Fatah movement. Fatah added that Hamas has warned the people of the movement [working] in the field and who carry out social and humanitarian activities and forbidden them [to perform] any social activities, sports activities and to bring humanitarian aid to [those who] need it. ...
"The sources pointed out that the activists have been subjected to threats and have been updated on the prohibition against issuing any consolation announcements of any kind, be it signs, bringing roses to the sick or any greeting in the name of Fatah.
"The sources drew attention to the fact that Hamas has refused to give the activists of the movement any piece of written paper stating the prohibition of the [Fatah] movement explicitly, but has settled for verbal decrees."[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 25, 2008]