Word: regions
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...first organized Palestinian uprising or "intifada" against Israeli rule came from a refugee camp in northern Gaza in 1987 and quickly spread across the region. During the revolt, which brought international attention to the Palestinian cause, the political party known as Hamas was created as a Palestinian extension of the popular Muslim Brotherhood Organization that had already swept through Egypt and much of the Arab world. Hamas gained momentum in the occupied region, especially in Gaza, by establishing educational and social programs for disenfranchised Palestinians, but drew international condemnation for its tactics of rebellion against Israel, including terror attacks...
...Hamas' popularity was cemented in the 2006 parlimentary elections in the volatile region, when it won 74 out of 132 seats in a result that shocked Israeli and Western observers. Fatah's refusal to relinquish control following the election forced an explosive week-long showdown between western-backed Fatah forces and Hamas; the infighting culminated the expulsion of Fatah security forces from Gaza and a de facto divide of the territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority between the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which remained under Fatah control...
...Egypt's border with Gaza to ensure that Hamas could not rearm itself with the same missiles whose firing provoked Israel's offensive in the first place. Those and other measures had been floated by Sarkozy and a group of European Union representatives who led peace missions in the region on Monday and Tuesday. Their proposals, however, were largely met by a disheartening dismissal from the various players in the conflict, including Mubarak...
...Israel from its Gaza stronghold - something the group has repeatedly refused to do. Yet that may be in the works. Mubarak's evolution from holdout to co-author of Sarkozy's slightly simplified plan suggests that Egypt's may be the first of several positions to shift in the region. It's likely that Mubarak's reversal was made with the knowledge that similar moves are afoot toward the same end - notably securing Hamas' acceptance of an enduring truce with Syria's assistance...
...remain hopeful that all influential states in the region - including Syria - will do their part to help end this violence and human tragedy," says a French official, referring to Sarkozy's appeal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to exert influence on Hamas when the two men met in Damascus on Tuesday. "We think Syria could greatly contribute to peace in the region in general terms but could also help end the current crisis, in particular by making Hamas see reason...