Islamic groups exert growing influence An alliance of Islamist factions is claiming ground in the political arena After three days of clashes in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp between Fatah members and Islamist insurgents, a new political dynamic has emerged, leaving Fatah, which has long enjoyed unilateral control of the camp, confronting the growing influence of Islamist groups. Observers say that an alliance of Islamist factions, including Esbat al-Ansar, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Sheikh Jamal Khattab’s movement, has entered the camp’s political arena and is proving to be just as if not more than influential as Fatah....