Since the Hamas faction won the parliamentary election at the beginning of last year, its influence and power has grown by leaps and bounds. It is no longer seen as just a challenge to the long dominance of the Fatah faction headed by President Mahmoud Abbas. His secularised faction had monopolised power in Palestine since the 1950s. Now the Hamas group which, among other threats has pledged to destroy Israel, poses a great challenge to the Fatah group in every way. This is evident in their militant wings, which are at each other's throats trying to gain the upper hand in matters dealing with security. The current battle has showed that Hamas is a military force to be reckoned with. Its fighters have proved every bit as determined as Fatah, even though Fatah has superior numbers and firepower.

But the aggressive Hamas action has boosted the level of international support for its rival. Key international players such as the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union have already expressed support for Fatah.

Within the Middle East itself, Egypt and Jordan also fully back Abbas and have criticised Hamas' use of forces. The United States government has pledged to renew humanitarian assistance if the new government is formed with Hamas.

If the fighting continues - and if it spreads - it will most likely lead to the breakdown of the unity government and the demise of the Palestinian Authority, which currently represents the central authority that could become part of the apparatus of an independent state in the future. So far, Israel is watching the developments very closely. But Israel is caught in a Catch 22 situation. Fatah leaders including Abbas are familiar to the Israeli authorities as they have negotiated with them in the past, albeit without any success. Indeed, Abbas says that he has supported the idea of peace talks with Israel all along.

For the Israeli government, though, Hamas is the troublemaker through and through. Since Israel has already left Gaza, it does not want to interfere or get involved again in the mire of civil conflict among the Palestinians. There has been some speculation that the fighting could eventually establish the Hamas security forces as the supreme force in the Gaza Strip.

Lest we forget, amid all the fighting, the fate of the BBC journalist Alan Johnson could be jeopardised. For the past three months Johnson has been held hostage by a militant group somewhere in Gaza. There has been a global appeal to secure his release. The shadowy Army of Islam has claimed responsibility and demanded the release of Islamic militants detained in Britain. Although there have been signs that Hamas' control of the Gaza could re-establish some order in the lawless city, there is no guarantee that Johnson would be freed. However, interviews given by the sacked Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya indicate that with Hamas in control of the Gaza Strip, the kidnapped BBC reporter could possibly be released.

For several hundred Thai workers currently working in the Gaza Strip, the fighting is a nightmare. Their safety has often been affected in previous fighting, and some Thai workers have been killed. The Thai government must be mindful of their safety and find ways to protect them. Evacuating them from the troubled area is one way. But it would be simpler to advise them to stay away from the conflict zones at all costs.