Photo Gallery Trouble Brewing for Abbas
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. Relations between his Fatah movement and the radical Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, remain toxic. And Abbas, who heads the Palestinian Authority, is losing support from within his own ranks.
Hamas supporters staged a mock trial of Abbas on Monday after after he appeared to be caving to US pressure by postponing action on a UN report that criticized Israel's Gaza war.
Meanwhile, Hamas is benefiting from ongoing tensions with Israel over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Youths clashed with soldiers as authorities restricted acces to the site which is sacred to both Muslims and Jews.
Clashes broke out on Oct. 9 after Hamas called for a Day of Rage to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site.
Hamas has slammed Fatah for agreeing to delay a vote on the Goldstone report into the Gaza offensive at the UN. The move is being interpreted as a serious crisis of leadership.
Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas with released Palestinian prisoner Rawda Saad. Hamas secured the release of 20 women from Israeli jails in return for a videotape of an Israeli soldier being held by Hamas.
A still photograph of the video showing abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, which was shown on TV on Oct. 2, 2009.
Palestinian Reem Abu Eishe was released on the same day. She was embraced by her mother after crossing the Hawara checkpoint in the West Bank city of nablus.
Another prisoner Linan abu Ghulmi was greeted by crowds at the Beituniya checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah. Many of the female ex-prisoners are advocating reconciliation betwen the Palestinian factions, yet are skeptical this is possible under the current leadership.
