Many Palestinians here are brooding about the prospect of a sudden Israeli withdrawal, even though they have fought for the removal of Jewish settlers and soldiers for years.
Armed militant organizations such as Hamas built their empires on resistance to Israel, attracting legions of youths willing to die in often-futile attacks aimed at forcing Israelis out of the Gaza Strip, which Israel seized from Egypt in 1967.
But now that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appears poised to leave this 139-square-mile rectangle and its scattered Jewish settlements, which are difficult and expensive to defend, many Gaza residents are uncomfortable with the prospect and deeply suspicious of Israeli intentions.
Few of the 1.3 million Gazans have experienced life without a "Zionist enemy" to fight. Amid factional fighting and Israeli attacks, the Palestinian Authority is ill-prepared to take control should Israel leave. Many Palestinians say they worry that the evacuation is aimed at starting a Palestinian civil war.
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http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/world/8162784.htmAmusing. The Palestinians wail for years for Israel to withdraw. When she does, Palestinians will fight a civil war and this will be Israel's fault! Since they have so long complained about Israeli operations against Hamas, we will see how they tend to Hamas themselves. Oh, my.