The rising confidence and bellicosity of Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, combined with rapidly deteriorating relations with Israel's would-be peace partner in the West Bank, are raising jitters in Israel that a new Palestinian uprising could be near.A number of prominent voices urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to take steps to ease…
The leader of Gaza's ruling Hamas group will visit the Palestinian territory for the first time, an official said Saturday, a sign of increasing boldness of the Islamic militant movement after it held its own against an Israeli military offensive.Khaled Mashaal was set to arrive in the Gaza Strip next week by crossing the border from Egypt to mark Ham…
The Sudanese government is blaming Israel for an explosion at a munitions plant in Khartoum early yesterday morning that Israeli media say was owned by Iran's Revolutionary Guard and made arms for Hamas.The Sudan Tribune reports that Ahmad Bilal Osman, Sudan's media minister, said in a press conference yesterday that the government had proof that…
Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip fired dozens of rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel on Wednesday in the heaviest bombardment on the area in months, drawing ominous Israeli threats of retaliation and dangers of escalation.The violence came a day after a landmark visit to Gaza by the emir of Qatar. Israeli officials suggested the visit, the fir…
Sudan said on Wednesday that an Israeli air strike had caused the huge explosion and fire at an arms factory in Khartoum that killed two people, while Israel's defense and foreign ministry declined to comment.Sudan, which analysts say is used as an arms-smuggling route to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip via neighboring Egypt, has blamed Israel for suc…
The rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas took an important step toward reconciliation on Thursday, announcing plans for the Islamic militants to join the umbrella group that has overseen two decades of on-and-off peace talks with Israel.The deal to admit Hamas into the Fatah-dominated Palestine Liberation Organization could have deep repercussions….
RAFAH, Gaza Strip – Egypt lifted a 4-year-old blockade of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, greatly easing travel restrictions on the 1.5 million residents of the Palestinian territory in a move that bolstered the Hamas government while dealing a setback to Israel's attempts to isolate the militant group.The sense of relief was palpable as buses piled high…
RAMALLAH/GAZA – Hamas released a statement on Monday condemning the killing of Osama bin Laden, calling the event an "assassination" of an "Arab holy warrior."Striking a very different tone, the Palestinian Authority said on Monday the killing of al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden by US forces was "good for the cause of peace."There w…
The following is a report from a STRATFOR source in Hamas. Hamas, which formed in Gaza as an outgrowth of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (MB), has an interest in exaggerating its role and coordination with the MB in this crisis. The following information has not been confirmed. Nonetheless, there is a great deal of concern building in Israel and the Unit…
CAIRO – A top Hamas security official was arrested at Cairo airport for using falsified travel documents, Egyptians officials said Sunday.Mohammed Dababish's relatives said he was returning from a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia when he was stopped.Dababish is a top official in Hamas' internal security unit, which oversees intelligence matters in Gaza….