Hey, you don't think that Hamas's landmark offer to reconcile with Fatah...

A top Hamas official said his group was ready to accept a Yemeni bid for reconciliation with Fatah, which voiced willingness to start national dialogue when its Islamist rival agrees to the terms of Yemen's initiative. "The visit is to meet [Yemeni] President Ali Abdullah Saleh ... and inform him of the movement's acceptance of the Yemeni initiative," Hamas deputy politburo chief Moussa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera television upon arrival to the Yemeni capital Sanaa. Abu Marzouk did not say whether the group was willing to accept a long standing Fatah demand that Hamas relinquish its control over the Gaza strip, but Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters in Gaza that the group will discuss the points of the Yemeni initiative.

... has anything to do with the 50-to-1 kill ratio that Israel established during Operation Warm Winter? Or how that, combined with Mugniyah's execution, showed the Hamas leadership that they are right to fear an Israeli hit? Answer: probably not. They don't care about Gaza casualties - the better to demonize Israel with. S its not the former. And they're quite pathological and suicidal. So the latter isn't as great a deterrent as it should be (not that it doesn't have other charms). Their newfound interest in a few months of recognition - plus access to the West Bank - probably has more to do with this:

A Palestinian public opinion poll published on Monday showed that Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh would defeat Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas if presidential elections were held these days in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The poll was conducted earlier this week by the independent Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. It gave Haniyeh 47 percent of the votes, while Abbas got 46%.

Just in time for the $25 million in new funding specifically going to purchase new weapons for PA soldiers. In fairness to them, it's not like Fatah support has been plummeting in the West Bank for the last few months. And it's not as if Hamas turned the last batch of State Department-supplied weapons against Israeli civilians.

References:
* Hamas ready to accept Yemeni initiative for reconciliation with Fatah [Ha'aretz]
* Hamas Leaders Fear Israeli Assassination [AP]
* Haniyeh beats Abbas in popularity poll [JPost]
* State Dept: Sure Abbas Just Promised To Attack Israelis. How About We Give Him $25 Million For New Weapons? [MR]
* Hey, How About Having Fatah Support Plummet In The West Bank? [MR]

Previously:
* Fatah Security Forces: "Murderers Of Two Israelis Aren't Terrorists". Murderers Of Two Israelis: "We're Fatah Terrorists" (Plus: Fatah Hid Them From Israeli Security)
* Fatah Security Chief: "There Is No Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Any More" Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades: "Yes There Is"
* Abbas: Good Chance We'll Use Our US Security Assistance To Go Back To Killing Israelis