Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian authority, said Hamas could have avoided the Israeli attacks on Gaza in a press conference in Cairo, after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. (click here)
Hamas is a political party and not an autonomous ethnicity endangered by genocide. The Middle East continues to allow 'violence based' political entities, including Hezbollah to exist as if they were an ethnicty. They are not.
When Sharon transitioned Gaza to the Palestinians it was with the hopes of peace. That hasn't happened because the Palestinians have been unable to come to terms with its most violent 'entity,' Hamas.
Some of the violence might be understandable IF Hamas were oppressed or prevented from forming a political party and being elected to office. That was never the case. Hamas has been a successful political party, but, they shun that success for violence against Israel, when returning Palestinians to Gaza was for peace.
Gaza is Gaza. The West Bank, Shebba Farms, Jerusalem or any other aspect of the Palestinian/Hezbollah/Israel Peace each have their own issues and one cannot be held hostage for a 'leveraged' outcome of another. No 'political entity' in The Middle East should be more powerful than a country's sovereignty. Hamas is no longer a political party worthy of recognition as it uses violence to achieve its purpose.
Israel is moving back into Gaza. I doubt if Israel will return it soon either.
