Yes, of course they will lay down their arms when called upon to do so by the international community. From Reuters:
GAZA (Reuters) – Hamas and Fatah gunmen exchanged fire on Friday in political turmoil as the long-dominant Fatah faction was threatened with a violent backlash from within after its crushing election defeat by the Islamic militant group….
Some 20,000 Fatah supporters took the streets in angry protests across the Gaza Strip, burning cars outside the Palestinian parliament building and firing rifles in the air. Some Hamas posters were ripped down by the crowd, which burned tires in the streets….
The militant al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Fatah, issued a statement threatening to “liquidate” the faction’s leaders if they changed their minds and joined a Hamas-led administration.
At separate rallies, thousands of Hamas backers celebrated their surprise victory….
In the first armed clash between Hamas and Fatah militants since Wednesday’s vote, three people were wounded in a gun battle near the southern city of Khan Younis.
Witnesses said the violence erupted after Hamas militants were angered by a sermon by a Fatah-appointed Muslim preacher during Friday prayers.
In a later flare up, Hamas gunmen and Palestinian security forces exchanged fire in Khan Younis. A Hamas gunmen and two security officers were wounded in the clash and underscored the difficulties ahead.
With Middle East peace talks frozen since 2000, Israel ruled out negotiations with any Palestinian administration involving Hamas, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction and has been behind dozens of suicide bombings.
No mention by Reuters of the fact that Hamas has also ruled out negotiations.
Meanwhile, the jizya may stop:
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Israel threw into doubt its willingness to continue the transfer of monthly customs revenues totaling tens of millions of dollars to the Palestinian Authority. The money is needed to help pay salaries for 135,000 government employees.
Compounding the Palestinian Authority’s worries, the United States said it will review “all aspects” of its aid programs to the Palestinians if Hamas is in the government.
“To be very clear, we do not provide money to terrorist organizations,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
DIVIDED OPINION
An opinion poll in Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper showed 48 percent of Israelis favored talking to a Hamas-led Palestinian government, while 43 percent were opposed.
Calls to open talks will grow. They are suicidal. A group that believes this is only interested in talking for the advantage they can gain over their enemy from such talks.
Israel holds a general election on March 28 and interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose centrist Kadima party is the front-runner, has hinted at unilateral moves to set a border with the Palestinians on Israeli terms.
Israel has already pulled its settlers out of the Gaza Strip without negotiations, citing the current Palestinian government’s failure to rein in militants….
Hah? So Israel has acted unilaterally by withdrawing from Gaza? By leaving? This was an aggressive move to set the border on Israeli terms? This is something to blame Israel for, as if it were some kind of provocation of the Palestinians? What are they smoking at Al-Reuters?
Hamas’s capture of 76 seats in the 132-member parliament — against 43 for Fatah — was widely seen as a political earthquake in the Middle East, triggered by voter anger at Fatah over corruption and the failure of peace efforts.
Did you catch that? Reuters would have us believe that Palestinians voted for Hamas because they were frustrated at the failure of peace efforts. Sure. They wanted peace, so they voted for Hamas. And when I want to see something, I cover my eyes with thick wool.
Hamas has mostly respected a truce for nearly a year, but says it will not give up its guns or its charter demand for an Islamic state to encompass Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.