USARMY-IDF

Hamas spokesman: 'We have disappointed our people'

A June 29 poll indicated that support for Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank fell precipitously to 18.8 percent following the war. Though it has eliminated its internal opponents and does not permit antigovernment demonstrations, Hamas is not immune to those sentiments.

"Both Fatah and Hamas have disappointed our people," says Hamas spokesman Ahmed Yousef. "Until now we couldn't reconcile our rift and end the divide between the West Bank and Gaza. [We are] giving the Israelis all kinds of justification to continue confiscating land in the West Bank."




Gaza's short-term fate may well depend on the ongoing reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah in Cairo. Egypt has extended the deadline for a deal to July 28, inviting the two parties to reconvene for a seventh round of talks on July 25.

less