Word: gaza
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...Gaza the members of Hamas have stripped off their masks, because they are the victors. For months Hamas and its rival, Fatah, loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas, brawled for power in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza--until June 10, when the shooting erupted into a climactic, vicious battle. Hamas didn't so much destroy the Fatah forces as cow them into surrender: only 5,000 of the 45,000 men on Abbas' payroll actually put up the pretense of a fight. And for the most part, top Fatah commanders deserted their men, either fleeing on foot to Egypt or aboard...
...Gaza is over. After the firing ceased, Gazans dashed to the bazaar to stock up on emergency supplies, certain that Israel would close the borders. Then families flocked to the beach to celebrate an end to months of fighting. The Islamic militants of Hamas--whose charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, an aspiration the group has sought to fulfill through scores of suicide bombings against Israel--are now the lords of Gaza, with 1.5 million Palestinians under their rule. The end of the power struggle in Gaza marks the opening of a critical new chapter...
...Hamas' political intentions are murky. In the morning, one spokesman for the movement trumpeted that "the era of justice and Islamic rule has arrived." But in the afternoon, a more senior official, Abu Zuhri, downplayed the possibility that Hamas would impose an Islamic state in Gaza. "Nothing is going to be changed in the social and cultural life of our people," he vowed. Gaza residents say that neighborhoods under Hamas' control are now safe and orderly...
...Israel now faces the sobering fact that Palestinians have split into two dangerous entities: the West Bank under Abbas' chaotic organization and weak leadership, and Gaza under Hamas - an organization pledged to destroy the Jewish state. So far, the Israelis have ruled out any offensive against Gaza's new rulers, but the military has sealed off the 30-mile-long strip's access by air, sea and land. Defense Minister Amir Peretz declared that Israel would not allow the violence in Gaza to spill over into attacks on southern Israel, and the Israelis have plenty of ways to strike back...
...Since overrunning all but two remaining Fatah strongholds in Gaza, Hamas has been careful not to provoke the Israelis, and the Islamists are exhibiting early signs of caution towards Israel. Rocket attacks in southern Israel have nearly ceased, and Palestinian sources told Time that Hamas has ordered the criminal gang that kidnapped BBC correspondent Alan Johnston 95 days ago to hand him over, a possible first step towards his release - although this claim could not be verified. Hamas could further calm the atmosphere with Israel by freeing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, kidnapped last summer. And on the Israeli side, some...