Arafat cornered by Gaza eruptions

By Roger Hardy
BBC Middle East analyst

A cocktail of grievances is bringing Gaza to the boil.

March of the militants: al-Aqsa gunmen protest against Mr Arafat

The Palestinian Cabinet has been meeting in the West Bank town of Ramallah in an effort to solve the political crisis triggered by the proffered resignation of Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and by clashes in the Gaza Strip between security forces and fighters of the militant group, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.

The high hopes of a decade ago - when Yasser Arafat returned from exile to lead the Palestinians to what they hoped would be independence - are now no more than a bitter memory.

The peace process has broken down and almost four years of violence have left more than 3,000 Palestinians dead.

Anger and poverty

The Palestinian Authority is enfeebled - its leader penned up in his West Bank headquarters.

In its place a variety of local militias have sprung up and appear accountable to no-one.

Mr Arafat appears reluctant to surrender control over security

Lawlessness and violence are widespread.

While there are problems on the West Bank, the situation in Gaza has reached crisis point.

Two-thirds of the people live below the poverty line - and they have watched the corruption and cronyism of the political elite with mounting anger.

Islamic colouring

With Israel proposing to withdraw from Gaza next year, a complex power struggle has erupted.

While the smaller factions are also involved, at the heart of the struggle is Mr Arafat's own Fatah group.

In the past, Fatah was a largely secular group which dominated the broader Palestinian national movement.

But now its military wing - the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - has a distinctly Islamic colouring and is leading the charge against what is widely seen as the corrupt "old guard" that surrounds Mr Arafat.

The ageing Palestinian leader has weathered many crises in his long and turbulent career.

This is one of the worst.