Even before the arrival of the Palestinian Authority's (PA) delegation to the Gaza Strip to discuss reconciliation between the Fatah and Hamas movements, the two sides had begun exchanging threats.

The delegation representing Fatah originally planned to travel from Ramallah in the West Bank to Gaza once Israel re-opened the Erez crossing that had been closed last week for Passover. But Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dropped a bombshell on Hamas leaders. Addressing Palestinian ambassadors gathered in Bahrain on April 13, Abbas said he was about to make far-reaching moves that would cement the split between Gaza and the West Bank. Abbas noted that Hamas had set up an administrative committee to run affairs in Gaza to replace the Palestinian government headed by Rami Hamdallah, and was thus perpetuating its rule in the Strip.

A senior Palestinian source in Gaza identified with the Fatah movement told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Abbas is using the administrative committee established by new Hamas ruler Yahya Sinwar as an excuse for long-planned moves. According to the source, Abbas decided to cut the Fatah-ruled West Bank off from Gaza more than a year ago after concluding that Hamas would not cede its rule over the enclave. He was no longer willing to fund the regime that had overthrown his government in 2007.

Indications of Abbas’ moves to sever the West Bank from Gaza have long been evident. “Only a blind person would not have seen what we, the veteran Fatah people, clearly saw,” said the source. The first sign, he said, was the PA’s refusal to pay for the diesel fuel needed to operate the Gaza power station, resulting in a crisis caused by the ensuing power shortages. But the most significant indication was the pay cuts for PA staff in the Strip.