The Tomatoes of Wrath

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As focused as Hamas must be on establishing international ties, it must also watch rival factions at home, particularly the party it ousted from power, Fatah. Already Haniya's administration is sparring with President Mahmoud Abbas, who belongs to Fatah, over control of Palestinian security forces. And it is not just Fatah. A member of Islamic Jihad who called himself Abu Aziz told TIME his cadres will continue firing homemade Qassam rockets into Israel.

Resolving those problems will require a subtlety that so far seems in short supply. At a rally in Jabalya refugee camp on Friday, Haniya addressed a crowd of thousands, making no policy statements but instead trying to gird his listeners for future struggles. "We are facing an unholy alliance led by the American Administration to cut aid to the poor and oppressed Palestinian people," he said. "We will not give in, and attempts to isolate the government will fail." After he finished speaking, a throng surrounded his car. He drove slowly away, supported, exalted, but with his thoughts and plans, much like Hamas', still a mystery.