The report, titled "The Battle at the Rafah Mosque: Power Struggles and
Philosophical Clashes," asserted that Hamas planned to destroy Jund.
Schweitzer cited Mussa's announcement of an Islamic entity in Rafah separate
from that of the Hamas regime.
"Seen by Hamas as a major challenge to the legitimacy of its rule, the
organization felt it had no choice but to respond by the violent suppression
of the rebel faction," the report said.
Hamas has not tolerated any attempt to undermine its rule of the Gaza
Strip, the report said. Schweitzer cited repeated crackdowns on the deposed
Fatah movement as well as Al Qaida-aligned groups such as Army of Islam,
dominated by the Fatah-aligned Dughmush clan.
The report identified several of the Al Qaida groups as Army of Islam,
Army of
the Nation, Army of Believers-Al Qaida in Palestine and Tahrir. Hamas said
some of these groups were financed by the Palestinian Authority.
"The full extent of the phenomenon and the precise number of active
members in the different groups are not known, but estimates are that there
are several dozen activists and some hundreds of fans and supporters for
each of the large groups, and somewhat fewer for the smaller groups," the
report said. "The intention of the groups to generate terrorism at all costs
ensures that the potential for damage is disproportionately large given
their actual size."
The report said the Al Qaida network would renew efforts to undermine
the Hamas regime. Schweitzer envisioned attacks on Hamas as well as
neighboring Israel in an effort to torpedo the current lull in fighting
between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
"Despite the efforts Hamas leaders invested after the incident to
restore calm and arrive at understandings with the leaders of these groups
about preventing bloodshed and acts of vengeance, it
seems that at best these efforts may succeed in postponing the next round of
confrontations between them," the report said. "However, it will not stop
these groups from continuing to recruit young people and from trying to
carry out terrorist attacks against Israel as a provocation that would force
Israel to respond against Hamas and thus challenge the organization’s policy
of tahadiya."