Hizballah wins hearts in Gaza

So far it looks as if "My brother against my brother, but both of us against our cousin" is trumping the Saudi anti-Shi'ite fatwa.

"Hezbollah wins hearts in Gaza," from the BBC, with thanks to JE:

While Israeli forces fight militants across its northern border, and the Israeli public waits for the return of its captured soldiers, the other fight - and the search for Israel's other captured soldier - has been continuing in Gaza, to the south.

The posters on the walls of the Palestine Liberation Organisation shop tell the story in life-size techni-colour. Alongside the portrait of the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, these days are two pictures of the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Inside the shop, owner Ahmed Abu-Dayyeh points out the Hezbollah stickers and giant posters nestling amongst Arafat mugs and Palestinian flags. It is the new Lebanese items that are in greatest demand now, he says.

Many are being bought up by demonstrators, taking part in weekly rallies in support of Hassan Nasrallah and his Islamic army.

In the northern town of Beit Lahiya today, hundreds paraded through the streets after Friday prayers, waving the black and yellow flags of Hezbollah and chanting slogans in support of its leader.

Gazans feel intimately involved in events on Israel's northern border. Many see it as two fronts in the same battle. And they see Hassan Nasrallah as a leader, not only of Hezbollah, but also of the Palestinians.

"As a leader, I feel he's better than our leaders," says Mohammed Zaqud, as the demonstration passes Beit Lahiya's main square. "He's more credible, more organised, and they have more capabilities."

"He retaliates on our behalf," another woman tells me. "He retaliates for those killed by the Israelis, families killed by Israeli shelling."