Stories related to: Hamas

Palestinians Seek $5.6B in Talks

Reuters  |  Dec 17, 07 2:50 AM CST

(Newser) - Representatives of more than 60 nations meet in Paris today to discuss providing aid to the Palestinians. Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, locked in a power struggle with Hamas in Gaza, is hoping to secure $5.6 billion in aid over the next three years. The US has promised $550 million. The talks are part of the process to forge an agreement on Palestinian statehood next year. More »

In Gaza, 150,000 Cheer Hamas

BBC  |  Dec 15, 07 1:01 PM CST

(Newser) - Crowds filled Gaza City streets today, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hamas in what BBC analysts are calling a critical test of public support. At least 150,000 rallied amid waving flags and banners as Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya preached “resistance and jihad,” blasting his moderate Fatah counterpart for assuming a mandate to negotiate with Israel. More »

Fatah Official Kidnapped in Gaza

Guardian (UK)  |  Dec 14, 07 9:32 AM CST

(Newser) - A top Fatah official was kidnapped by 30 gunmen of rival Palestinian faction Hamas, who ransacked his family home in Gaza early this morning and accused him of collaborating with Israel. Omar Al-Ghoul, adviser to the Palestinian prime minister appointed after Hamas seized control of the Strip, was in Gaza for his mother-in-law's funeral. More »

Gates: Iran Still a Threat to Security

New York Times  |  Dec 8, 07 9:20 AM CST

(Newser) - Iran is still a grave threat to regional security, with or without nuclear weapons, Robert Gates told a Persian Gulf conference today. The defense secretary challenged Tehran, which crowed over a recent US intelligence reassessment of its halted nuclear program, to acknowledge other American intelligence findings of destabilizing activities. More »

Thousands Rally in Gaza

BBC  |  Nov 27, 07 8:14 PM CST

(Newser) - Massive crowds demonstrated in Gaza today, condemning the Annapolis conference and chanting "Death to America!" Hamas leaders told tens of thousands of supporters that the peace summit was "doomed to failure" and vowed that "whoever thinks we will recognize a Jewish state are deluding themselves." A smaller, West Bank protest was scuttled by police, who killed one, the BBC reports. More »

West Bank Billionaire Launches Third Party

Newsweek  |  Nov 27, 07 8:27 AM CST

(Newser) - A Palestinian billionaire has started a new party that he hopes will give voters a more pragmatic option to Fatah and Hamas. Minub al-Masri, friend of the late Yasir Arafat, says he launched the Palestine Forum to replace "inexperienced" politicians. But third parties are not unprecedented in Palestine, Newsweek reports—and independents rarely gain ground in a society where militias guarantee the peace. More »

Dozens Invited to Mideast Peace Talks

Reuters  |  Nov 21, 07 4:14 AM CST

(Newser) - The negotiating table may be packed Nov. 27 in Annapolis, when the Mideast peace conference brings together not only Israelis and Palestinians, but upwards of 40 other countries and institutions invited yesterday. The White House's priority is to persuade Saudi Arabia and Syria to attend the talks, to bolster the chances of making real progress towards Palestinian statehood. More »

'Bring Down' Hamas in Gaza: Palestinian Prez

Guardian (UK)  |  Nov 16, 07 4:00 AM CST

(Newser) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday called for the overthrow of the Hamas government in Gaza for "abusing" people. "We have to bring down this bunch, which took over Gaza with armed force," he said in his most inflammatory remarks since Hamas took over in June. Abbas' angry attack closely followed Hamas' violent suppression of a pro-Fatah rally earlier this week. More »

Hamas Nabs Fatah Activists

New York Times  |  Nov 13, 07 6:46 PM CST

(Newser) - Hamas arrested Fatah activists today—one source says dozens, another hundreds—a day after a Gaza rally turned violent, the New York Times reports. Hamas also threatened political action against the group. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a Fatah member, declared three days of mourning and compared the Hamas move to "crimes of the Israeli occupier," BBC reports. More »

7 Killed in Gaza Shooting

Reuters  |  Nov 12, 07 8:18 AM CST

(Newser) - Violence broke out today in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, as Hamas fighters fired into a crowd of hundreds of thousands at a memorial rally to Fatah founder Yasser Arafat, killing seven and wounding 150, the New York Times reports. Hamas and Fatah traded blame for the shooting, the bloodiest since Hamas took control of Gaza in June. One Hamas official said Fatah demonstrators provoked security forces by throwing rocks. More »

Enemies May Overstate Hamas Split

Economist  |  Nov 10, 07 10:41 AM CST

(Newser) - Reports of strife within the Palestinian faction Hamas are likely exaggerated, the Economist says. The Islamist party may be splitting under the pressure of sanctions, but reports are hard to judge because “few observers are neutral.” There are “sub-leaderships," though. After seizing Gaza in June, for example, Hamas' military wing clearly ran free of PM Ismail Haniyeh’s control. More »

Rice to Proceed, Cautiously, With Mideast Talks

Reuters  |  Nov 1, 07 5:10 PM CDT

(Newser) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders this weekend in order to create a document of joint principles as a prerequisite to a peace conference expected later this month. For fear of killing the conference before it begins, the document will contain few hard-core specifics, instead focusing on a general push towards reconciliation, Reuters reports. More »

Israel Cuts Fuel to Gaza