The Hamas Takeover and its Aftermath

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S. Samuel C. Rajiv is a Researcher at IDSA.

Notes

¹ The national unity government was formed following the February 8 Mecca agreement between Abbas and Hamas' leader-in-exile, Khaled Meshaal.

² The aid embargoes were imposed on account of the Hamas' refusal to acknowledge Israel as a sovereign entity, renounce violence to achieve its objectives—with its 1988 Charter calling for the destruction of Israel not being rescinded, or accept interim peace deals that had already been agreed upon between the Palestinian Authority and Tel Aviv.

³ Fayyad was the Finance Minister in the short-lived national unity government formed in March.

⁴ Wafa Amr ‘Abbas cabinet vows to exert control over Gaza’, Reuters, June 18, 2007, at http://in.news.yahoo.com/070618/137/6h3rh.html (Accessed June 19, 2007).

⁵ ‘Hamas Coup in Gaza’, in Alexander Nicoll and Jessica Delaney (ed.), IISS Strategic Comments, 13(5), June 2007, at www.iiss.org/stratcom. (Accessed July 19, 2007).

⁶ The currently paralysed Palestine Legislative Council would have to ratify the decision within the next five weeks, in tune with the provisions of the Palestinian Constitution or the Basic Law.

⁷ Steven Erlanger, ‘Abbas Plays on Hamas Boycott to Keep His Cabinet in Place’, The New York Times, July 12, 2007, A14, at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/world/middleeast/12mideast.html (Accessed July 12, 2007).

⁸ Avi Issacharoff, ‘Fayad's pals plan alternative to Fatah, Hamas’, Haaretz, July 26, 2007, at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/886742.html (Accessed July 28, 2007).

⁹ Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, ‘Fatah and Israel: Allies Inc.’, Haaretz, July 26, 2007, at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/886740.html (Accessed July 28, 2007).

¹⁰ Barak Ravid, Yoav Stern and Shahar Ilan, ‘PA Chair says hopes for peace deal with Israel within a year’, Haaretz, July 28, 2007, at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/886373.html (Accessed July 28, 2007).

¹¹ Uzi Mahnaimi, ‘Israel plans attack on Gaza’, ‘Israel plans attack on Gaza’, The Sunday Times, June 17, 2007, at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1942918.ece; See also an opinion piece written before the Gaza takeover by Rick Francona, ‘Is Gaza this Summer's Lebanon?’ MSNBC, June 6, 2007, at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19068807/ (Accessed July 28, 2007).

¹² Nidal al-Mughrabi, ‘Israel kills four Gaza militants’, Reuters, July 22, 2007, at http://in.news.yahoo.com/070722/137/6ibgf.html (Accessed July 23, 2007).

¹³ Steven Erlanger and Isabel Kershner, ‘Olmert Assails Hamas and Vows Cooperation With Abbas’, The New York Times, June 17, 2007, at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/world/middleeast/17olmert.html (Accessed June 19, 2007).

¹⁴ Aluf Benn, ‘Olmert's new offer to Abbas: Agreement of Principles toward Palestinian state’, Haaretz, July 25, 2007, at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/886042.html (Accessed July 28, 2007).

¹⁵ Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff, Barak Ravid and Shlomo Shamir, ‘PA shares info to help Israel squash terror in W.Bank’, Haaretz, July 26, 2007, at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/886745.html (Accessed July 28, 2007).

¹⁶ Matt Spetalnick, ‘US resumes aid to Palestinian government’, Reuters, June 19, 2007, at http://in.news.yahoo.com/070618/137/6h4j0.html (Accessed June 19, 2007).

¹⁷ Sheryl Gay Stolberg, ‘After Meeting Israeli Leader, Bush Gives Support to Abbas’, The New York Times, June 20, 2007, A10, at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/20/world/middleeast/20prexy.html (Accessed June 20, 2007).

¹⁸ Helene Cooper, ‘Preparatory work for the proposed conference would be done by Secretary of State Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates during their forthcoming tour to elicit regional support.’ ‘Bush to Bolster Abbas and Seek Peace Talks’, The New York Times, July 17, 2007, A1, at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/washington/17prexy.html?ref=todayspaper (Accessed July 24, 2007).

¹⁹ ‘Arab ministers back Abbas, call for halt to fighting’, IANS, June 16, 2007, at http://in.news.yahoo.com/070616/43/6h1zi.html (Accessed June 16, 2007).

²⁰ For details see ‘The Arab Peace Initiative 2002’, at http://www.al-bab.com/arab/docs/league/peace02.htm (Accessed July 28, 2007).

²¹ Isabel Kershner, ‘Arab Envoys and Israelis Meet to Talk Mideast Peace’, The New York Times, July 26, 2007, A12, at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/world/middleeast/26mideast.html (Accessed July 26, 2007).

²² ‘Egypt concerned over consequences of Gaza “Coup”’, The Egyptian Gazette, June 24, 2007, at http://www.mfa.gov.eg/MFA_Portal/en-GB/Press_and_Media/Economic_Press_Reviews/pressen2462007.htm (Accessed July 28, 2007).

²³ For details on Hamas' history, funding and operations, see Mathew Levitt, Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, USA, 2006.

²⁴ ‘Iran “played role” in Gaza takeover’, AlJazeera.Net, June 24, 2007, at http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F34656FC-5B17–4D7F-AB32–7ED66C5D697D.htm (Accessed July 28, 2007)

²⁵ Mohammed Assadi, ‘Western powers vow to end embargo on Abbas government’, Reuters, June 19, 2007, at http://in.news.yahoo.com/070618/137/6h4de.html (Accessed June 19, 2007).