Can Abbas control the militants?

By Magdi Abdelhadi
BBC World Service Arab affairs analyst, West Bank

Controlling Palestinian militants is the most formidable challenge facing the new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The success of the ceasefire declared in Sharm al-Sheikh depends, from the Palestinian side, on Mr Abbas being able to convince the militants that they should halt attacks and let him try to negotiate an end to the Israeli occupation.

Zubeidi says militants should keep weapons until the occupation ends

A member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a militant group affiliated to Mr Abbas' Fatah organisation, showed me his Israeli-made assault rifle as children played amid the rubble of the Jenin refugee camp.

The streets of this camp saw some of the fiercest fighting between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants during the height of the intifada.

I met Zachariah Zubeidi, the leader of the brigades in Jenin, next to his demolished house.

Sitting on a pile of bricks which was once his home, he told me the conditions his group has set to renounce armed resistance to the Israeli occupation.

Ceasefire conditions

"We shall not give up our weapons until the occupation ends and we have an independent Palestinian state," Zachariah Zubeidi said.

If these Israelis care about peace and the creation of a Palestinian state, Mahmoud Abbas doesn't even have to ask us - there will be no need then to carry arms Zachariah Zubeidi Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Send us your comments

"We do not disagree with Mahmoud Abbas regarding defending the Palestinian people, but we do disagree over the methods used and the timing."

If Mr Abbas says all militias including the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades should hand over their weapons, would you obey him?

"The question of surrendering our weapons depends on the Israeli side. If these Israelis care about peace and the creation of a Palestinian state, Mahmoud Abbas doesn't even have to ask us. There will be no need then to carry arms."

But if the legitimate leader of the Palestinian Authority says this is the official policy, would you respect that?

"This depends on whether the Israelis stop attacking us or not," Zachariah Zubeidi said.

Huge challenge

In other words, without an Israeli commitment to stop targeting Palestinian militants, they reserve the right to retaliate.

This is a view shared by many Palestinians including mainstream political factions.

Tayssir Khaled, a left-wing veteran politician who ran against Mr Abbas in Sunday's poll, says Palestinians see it as their right to protect their interests and "resist" the occupation - even by military means.

"The issue is occupation and the violence of the occupation. I haven't seen in my life any people who have achieved freedom by waving white flags," Mr Khaled said.

Add to these voices opposition from other powerful militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad and you get a picture of the enormity of the challenges facing the new Palestinian leader.