7 Killed in Gaza Shooting

But Israel may not deal with Hamas

(AP) - Palestinians have reached initial agreement on reuniting their rival governments in the West Bank and Gaza, a step that would remove a main obstacle in the way of peace efforts with Israel. Fatah and Hamas officials said the plan, brokered by Egypt, calls for the formation of a single caretaker government in the coming days. The government would administer day-to-day business until new presidential and legislative elections are held in exactly one year. More»

(NEWSER) - Israel dropped leaflets on the Gaza strip today warning inhabitants of an escalation in the 2-week offensive against Hamas militants, the BBC reports. The leaflets assured civilians that the action was against “Hamas and the terrorists only” and urged people to stay away from military targets. The development could signal a deeper incursion by Israeli ground forces into Gazan cities and refugee camps, the BBC notes. More»

Lack of results confirmed the case for violence

(NEWSER) - Hamas has long argued that negotiating with Israel won’t help Palestine—and that belief drove its decision to end a six-month ceasefire on December 19, writes Stephen Farrell in the New York Times. While it's possible Hamas leaders underestimated the scale of the Israeli response, which has cost more than 300 Palestinian lives in the last 4 days, it's also possible that they welcome the attacks, which have restored Hamas’ image as the “champion” of Palestinian resistance. More»

About-face signals frustration with Bush-led peace talks

(NEWSER) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas offered an unexpected olive branch to Hamas yesterday, reports the New York Times. Abbas, in control of only the West Bank since the Islamic militant group seized Gaza last year, said it was time for national unity talks aimed at forming a new government. The move could signal the total breakdown of faltering peace talks with Israel. More»

Hatred of Jews pervades media in Gaza, worries Fatah

(NEWSER) - In the 15 years since the Oslo accords, the Palestinian Authority under Fatah has tamped down anti-Semitic rhetoric. But in Hamas-controlled Gaza, incitement to violence against Jews has been amped up in everything from sermons to television cartoons. The New York Times investigates how virulent hatred of Jews—not just Israelis—compounds the difficulties of the peace process. More»