The situation in Palestine is rapidly becoming more volatile and dangerous than at any other time, with Palestinian national unity at risk.

Israel assassinated senior Hamas political leader Ismail Abu Shanab on August 21, bringing an abrupt end to the truce declared by the main Palestinian groups on June 29.

The Zionist regime actually violated the cease-fire over 900 times.

In quick reaction to the assassination of Abu Shanab, senior Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh announced that Hamas was officially ending its ceasefire.

Moreover, Haniyeh called for Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to step down for his insistence that the resistance abandon the armed struggle.

The Zionists consider Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to be a major obstacle in the way of the peace process and PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas was appointed prime minister after the United States refused to deal with Arafat, describing him as a leader "tainted by terrorism".

The Zionist regime and the U.S. are demanding that that the PA act as their policeman and arrest Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists. This would be a serious mistake on the part of the PA because it would ruin relations between the PA and Hamas and Islamic Jihad and divide the Palestinians at this critical point in time.

It should be noted that Arafat still controls the PA security services. Abbas wants greater control of Palestinian security forces in order to crack down on Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Palestinian national unity is at stake. It is common knowledge the Zionist regime and its patron and supporter, the U.S., are trying to cause divisions among Palestinians which could lead to a civil war. The Palestinians should try to avoid falling into the trap set by the CIA, MI6, and the Mossad.