Word: gaza
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...lecturing the Palestinians on good governance instead of negotiating with the two sides. This is made all the more difficult by the Quartet's refusal to engage with Islamic militants Hamas, democratically elected to power in January 2006 and now, through force of arms, the new landlords of Gaza. Will Blair have the chutzpah to speak with Hamas to reconcile their split with Abbas? And will the Israelis...
...they say constitutes their wake-up call: the year 2006 witnessed Hamas's victory in Palestinian elections and Hizballah's summer war with Israel, both signs of a dramatic rise in Iran's influence; then came the coup de grace earlier this month, when Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip by force of arms, causing the collapse of the Palestinian national unity government. As the optimists now see it, the Sharm el-Sheikh summit on Monday has united Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas against Hamas (and its Iranian backer), all in a determination to forge ahead...
...Hamas commanders despise the Dagmush clan. What stopped them from acting against Dagmush was that the clan were being shielded by Hamas' rivals, the Fatah militia loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas. But now that Hamas has chased off Fatah from Gaza, the Dagmush are vulnerable. They are also loathed by Gaza's other powerful clans for their thuggish behavior and kidnappings - the Dagmush's "Army of Islam' is also said to have joined in the capture of Shalit, but then to have sold him on to two other militant groups. Hamas fighters are supposedly in position on the rooftops near...
...Hamas wants to avoid Johnston's being killed while they're trying to rescue him, especially now that he may be strapped with explosives. For the Islamist militants who seized control of Gaza two weeks ago, freeing Johnston is an imperative: His release would show the international community that Hamas is not only acting responsibly, but are also in control of Gaza, which has for months been in the grip of anarchy. It is also seen as a test of Hamas' determination to crack down on the powerful clans whose many feuds have added to Gaza's chaos...
...Dagmush fear for their lives. Gaza sources close to the clan say its members are afraid that once they release Johnston, they may be killed by Hamas, and holding him could be their only insurance policy...