Epstein Secrets

It secured once-lawless streets, as promised. But hopes of Islam-guided fairness and an end to the graft that had tainted the tenure of the secular Fatah party have turned to widespread griping about Hamas corruption and patronage. Hamas has hired more than 40,000 civil servants, and analysts say the

Fatah, which could lead to elections, is on ice. That leaves Abu Khaled, an unemployed former shopkeeper, to seethe in his 11th-floor apartment in Gaza City. Khaled, 55, said he voted for Hamas because it promised change and justice, which he figured meant there would be jobs. But only those who "pray

"This is a red line that cannot be crossed," said the 63-year-old Hamas leader who played a pivotal role in achieving the reconciliation deal with Fatah on April 23. Abu Marzouk's remarks come as Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas meet in Qatar. The Hamas

s Friends and Influences Nations William Pesek AlMonitor Hamas's Abu Marzouk says recognizing Israel a 'red line' Adnan Abu Amer May 5, 2014 -- Gaza City, Gaza Strip — "Hamas will not recognize Israel," Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas' political bureau, EFTA00662744 told Al-Monitor in a

ep its 290 water and sewage facilities running. The Hamas government refuses to buy alternative fuels, because taxes on these would go to the rival Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority. As a result, pumping stations ceased operation in November, and many streets in southern Gaza City are now inunda

ld go to the rival Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority. As a result, pumping stations ceased operation in November, and many streets in southern Gaza City are now inundated with human excrement. Residents must sandbag their homes so they won't be flooded by raw sewage. The stench is intolerable. With

is particularly skeptical about Hamas Politburo chief Khaled Meshaal's sudden embrace of Palestinian reconciliation with the West Bank-based rival Fatah party, fearing the move will end the group's five-year run as the rulers of the Gaza Strip. The power struggle is likely to shape Hamas' policies i

" she said in an e-mailed statement. Los Angeles Times Hamas factions' reversal of roles rooted in 'Arab Spring' Edmund Sanders June 17, 2012 -- Gaza City -- Just a couple of years ago, the prevailing wisdom about Hamas was that its Gaza Strip-based leaders were forced to be more moderate because they

mer than ever, and the looser tunnel patrols in Egypt mean greater access to weapons as well. But opinion surveys show that its more secular rival, Fatah, is more popular. That may explain why an attempt at political unity with Fatah is moving slowly: the Hamas leaders here are likely to lose their

. Streets are being paved and buildings constructed. "Mubarak was crushing us before," said Mahmoud Mohammad, a subcontractor whose 10-man crew in Gaza City was unloading steel bars that were carried through the tunnels and were destined for a new restaurant. "Last year we were sitting at home. The cont

n Policy Palestinians between reconciliation and impasse Peter Lagerquist July 5, 2011 -- The reconciliation accord formally signed by Hamas and Fatah on May 2 is beginning to show its first cracks. The two movements agreed to jointly contest new elections in late 2012 and were scheduled to announ

ve been disappointed by Hamas's lurch into police state paranoia following 2007. "They have informants everywhere," complains one social worker in Gaza City. "[They are] even paying kids a few shekels to report on people in their neighborhood." Inspired by popular uprisings in the region, parallel stree

some resources. Its leaders have even mulled publicly what for years would have been unthinkable — inviting the presidential guard loyal to rival Fatah back to help keep the border with Egypt open. (They quickly recanted.) The mounting pressure on Hamas has implications beyond the 141 square miles

ed of repair. EFTA_R1_00441195 EFTA01964447 Article 5. NYT Pressure Rises on Hamas as Patrons' Support Fades Jodi Rudoren August 23, 2013 -- Gaza City — The tumult roiling the Arab world had already severed the lifeline between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and two of its most important pat

inian Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committees, along with Salafi groups and even the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade -- a splinter of the secular Fatah faction under PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas -- have been EFTA_R1_00463826 EFTA01977324 firing rockets on a freelance basis. Will they continue to fi

Prime Minister Hisham Qandil briefly entered Gaza at the Rafah border, an unprecedented visit at a time of conflict. He toured Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and met with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniveh. "We are all behind you, the struggling nation, the heroic that is presenting its children as h

icle 1. Politico Why a foreign policy debate is an anachronism Richard N. Haass Article 2. The Christian Science Monitor Despite Hamas boycott, Fatah fares poorly Christa Case Bryant, Rebecca Collard Articles. The National (Abu Dhabi) Hizbollah's naked aggression strips away resistance facade

u chief of the Kuwaiti newspaper Alrai. Associated Press Qatar's emir to head to Hamas-ruled Gaza Ibrahim Barzak EFTA00711389 Oct. 21, 2012 -- Gaza City, Gaza Strip (AP) — The ruler of Qatar is expected in the Gaza Strip this week, in what would be a major stamp of legitimacy for the territory's Isl

e valued by the West for his pragmatism, could reshuffle a stagnant Palestinian deck. Some caution that Dahlan has made too many enemies in Abbas' Fatah movement and will continue to be ostracized by those planning to compete for the top job in the future. Dahlan, 52, told The Associated Press on We

alestinians "won't support a specific leader without being convinced of his political platform," he said. Associated Press writer Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza City contributed to this report. Artick 5. EFTA00684339 NYT What Would nnan Say to Obama? Frank Costigliola Feb. 27, 2014 -- "I don't really even