After just three weeks in office, the Hamas-led Palestinian government is fighting for survival and seeking a coalition with other factions to shore up support, warning the administration’s collapse could spark violence.

Some Palestinian officials and analysts predict the government might fold within months if international political isolation and financial pressures persist.

Those pressures are likely to escalate after the new government defended a Palestinian suicide bombing in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Monday that killed nine people.

Hamas is sworn to Israel’s destruction but has largely abided by a year-old ceasefire.

“I can’t say there are plans to face the situation but the collapse of the Palestinian Authority would mean uncontrolled chaos and violence,” Nayef al-Rajoub, Hamas minister of Religious Affairs, told Reuters.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Friday said the consequences of bringing down the government would be grave, but added the administration would not fall.

Hamas is fighting challenges on all fronts.

It has inherited $1.3 billion in debt. Israel has cut off $55 million in monthly tax transfers while the United States, Europe and other countries have cut aid to the government unless it recognises the Jewish state and disarms.

Protests over unpaid government salaries are festering.

Banks are refusing to deal with the Palestinian Authority, fearing lawsuits by the United States which has prohibited any commercial dealings with the Hamas government.

Some analysts said Hamas had two options to halt a humanitarian crisis: recognise Israel or step aside and allow President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate who favours a two-state solution to the conflict, to form a new government.

“Hamas is not officially admitting its failure ... but it has discovered it can’t run things alone and to preempt a popular backlash, it is appealing to others to share this responsibility,” said Palestinian analyst Mehdi Abdel-Hadi.

On Sunday, Hamas held talks with a dozen rival Palestinian factions to try to persuade them to join the government.

All factions of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) had previously refused to join, partly due to disputes over political programmes.

Abdel-Hadi said to form a coalition with PLO groups, Hamas would have to recognise the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinians and accept a two-state solution.

Hamas insists it will not bow to pressure to recognise Israel and renounce violence.

Hamas has said it would not arrest militants carrying out assaults against Israel. But it has come in for criticism from some groups for halting its own attacks.

Abbas’ condemnation of the suicide bombing and Hamas’s defence was also likely to speed a confrontation between the president and the Hamas cabinet, analysts said.

In a speech on Friday, Haniyeh accused Abbas of stripping him of his powers.

“If this situation continues, I believe things are moving towards a confrontation unless Hamas retracts,” said Imad Fallouji, a former minister and former Hamas official.

Political analyst Basem Izbidi questioned whether Hamas could govern beyond a couple of months. The Hamas finance minister has already warned of economic collapse within months unless aid flows back into empty Palestinian coffers.

“Without salaries people may stop going to work, institutions could collapse and services stop. People could go to the streets in rebellion. It could be violent,” Izbidi said. — Reuters