Word: haniyeh
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...photo op of Hamas leaders with a free and smiling Briton--BBC correspondent Alan Johnston, released after 114 days of Gaza captivity--is, among other things, a huge publicity coup for Hamas and its leader, Ismail Haniyeh. It allows the embattled Haniyeh to show he can deliver positive results in his new role as the top authority in the Gaza Strip and to say, with some legitimacy, that he can bring stability back to Gaza's lawless streets...
...locked in a fierce struggle with the Fatah movement loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is backed by the West. This rivalry culminated in Hamas ousting Fatah's armed forces from Gaza after six days of gun battles last month. Abbas retaliated by firing Hamas Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh and his cabinet, but Haniyeh has refused to step down. The Islamic militants of Hamas are anxious to show Palestinians in Gaza - and the rest of the world - that they can carry out their vow to impose order in Gaza. The photo op of a smiling...
...they "smashed me in the face" before they shoved him in the vehicle that delivered him to freedom before dawn on Wednesday. As Johnston later remarked, "If it wasn't for Hamas' pressure, I'd be in that room a lot longer." His surly captors drove Johnston to Haniyeh's modest residence. Fed only on cheese, potatoes and bread during his months of solitary confinement, Johnston was obviously grateful for the huge breakfast laid out for him by Haniyeh, and the gaunt Scot was shown on TV wolfing down food as he answered questions about his abduction. He described...
...Securing the release of Johnston is a timely boon for Hamas' leaders who, despite their election victory, are boycotted by the West for refusing to renounce violence against Israel. Britain, which along with the U.S. has steadfastly refused to deal with Hamas, found itself negotiating directly with Haniyeh. Sacked by Abbas after the Gaza clashes, Haniyeh continues to run a Hamas phantom government in Gaza. In contrast to Abbas, whose own authority in the West Bank is shaky, Hamas can now rightly say that it is fully in control of Gaza. Freeing Johnston will help Hamas achieve a measure...
...another 120 wounded in the fighting. Both Hamas and Fatah have vowed to kill each other's political and military leaders, and have tried to do so with a vengance. Twice in the past 48 hours, Fatah members shelled the home of Hamas leader and Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh. He and his family were unhurt...