Just a few days ago there was much being made of Abbas's crackdown on Hamas. Finally the Palestinian Partner For Peace (tm) was going to show himself willing and capable of maintaining at least partial control on at least part of his territory. Yeah, not so much:

The Palestinian Authority on Thursday decided to release 25 Hamas prisoners as a goodwill gesture on the eve of the Muslim feat of Eid al-Fitr. PA security officials said the Hamas men had been detained over the past few months on suspicion of involvement in "security-related" violations... Col. Abdullah Kmail, head of the General Intelligence Force in Nablus, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank, said that only four Hamas men would remain in prison after the release of the 25 prisoners. He said the Hamas prisoners had handed their weapons and other military equipment to the General Intelligence Force. "We have seized more than 25 pistols and rifles, in addition to other explosive devices," he said. "Nine modern weapons were confiscated over the past two days."

Well if they're handed their weapons over then we guess it's OK. Because they're never going to be able to get more, what with the well-known scarcity of weapons smuggled into Gaza from Egypt. Or, if they're going to stay in the West Bank, what with the well-known scarcity of weapons being dumped into the West Bank by the US.

References:
* Hamas says Fatah arrests its members
* PA to free 25 Hamas security prisoners [JPost]
* Egypt Uncovers A Single Smuggling Tunnel, Basically Calls It A Day (Plus: Egypt In Explicit Violation Of Security Agreements?) [MR]
* U.S. coordinator plans 5 new Palestinian battalions in W. Bank [Ha'aretz]

Previously:
* Abbas Is Lying Either To Israel or To the Palestinians - Either Way, It Makes a Peace Deal Impossible
* Israeli Security Foils 7 Suicide Bombings From Fatah-Controlled West Bank
* Abbas: "Killing Palestinian Soldiers Who Are Firing Rockets At Israeli Schools And Hospitals Is A Massacre"

Cross-posted to:
* Israpundit