After the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004, Fatah’s “old guard” was plagued by nepotism, corruption, and U.S.-backed policies that led to a sharp rise in crime and a decline in public service delivery. This situation was conducive to the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian legislative elections of January 2006.
From then on, two political regimes, Fatah and Hamas, claimed to represent the Palestinian people.
The confrontation between the two rival factions led to violent clashes. More than 600 Palestinians were killed in the fighting in Gaza from January 2006 to May 2007.