GAZA CITY — Thousands of Hamas supporters demonstrated against Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' peace efforts as leaders of the militant group said they were pulling out of talks with Palestinian officials aimed at ending attacks on Israelis.
| "Peace efforts? We don' wan' no steenkin' peace efforts!" |
A Hamas refusal to negotiate could force Abbas to either crack down on the group and risk a civil war, or allow it to continue bombing and shooting attacks that would derail U.S.-backed peace efforts. Palestinian security officials were pursuing other means to disarm gunmen, finalizing a plan to buy their illegal weapons, according to several Palestinian officials and militia members.
| Yep. That always works... |
As part of the U.S.-backed "road map" to Palestinian statehood, the Palestinians have to disarm and dismantle militant groups that have killed hundreds of Israelis in shootings and bombings in 32 months of fighting. Abbas has been trying to negotiate with the militias rather than use force, and said earlier this week he was optimistic he could broker a truce within a week.
| But we know he was over-optimistic, and that Hamas and IJ are never going to go out of the terrorism business. Without it, there's no reason for them to exist. They'd have to get jobs. |
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