Word: gaza
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...leaders of Fatah and Hamas huddled in Saudi Arabia Tuesday night in search of a deal to resolve their conflict, the checkpoints scattered across Gaza were mostly quiet. But the masked gunmen manning them looked exhausted and irritated after a week of nearly non-stop fighting that killed about 60 people and wounded more than...
...Everyone in Gaza seems to offer a different reason for what started the fighting last week between fighters loyal to the Hamas-controlled government and the various militias of President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party. But most agree that the fragile cease-fire put into place on Sunday has no chance unless the Palestinian leadership can pull off a near miracle in Saudi Arabia under the guidance of the Kingdom's last-ditch mediation effort...
...Maybe being this close to God will stop this madness," says Abu Awad, a Gaza merchant referring to fact that the Palestinian rivals are meeting in Mecca, Islam's holiest site...
...Divine help may well be needed to break the deadlock, since besides the thorny political issues at stake - recognition of Israel, control over public finances and whether to release a seemingly forgotten captive Israeli soldier - Gaza's problems, especially after the latest round of fighting, go far beyond politics. The culture of blood feuds at a clan level is well entrenched in Gaza, and dozens of angry families are unlikely to forgive those who killed their sons, brothers and nephews just because politicians declare the conflict resolved. And since the Israeli withdrawal in summer, 2005, Gaza is awash in weapons...
...Each side's conduct upon the announcement of the cease-fire hints at the challenges ahead. Hamas moved its men off the streets of Gaza City, retreating to checkpoints in the Khan Yunis camp where it holds sway. But in Gaza City, militiamen under the command of Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan, whose nephew was kidnapped by Hamas fighters last week, fortified their positions at key intersections...