Think Tank: Hamas Tightens Grip on Gaza

The chances of concluding a deal to bring back home kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit "are not very good," because of Hamas's new stranglehold on Gaza, according to a Tel Aviv-based think tank. Hamas has tightened its control over Gaza to the point that it may have the confidence to become even more rigid in negotiating with Israel, wrote Shlomo Brom, senior researcher of the Institute for National Security Studies The new situation has made it easier for Hamas to pull the strings. Hamas has accomplished "an almost total elimination of Fatah's presence there," Brom wrote, and Israel may have to decide whether to invade the region and topple the terrorist regime or reach an understanding with it. Recent clashes in which Hamas has proved superior have created a new reality that indicates "it will only be possible to bring down... [read full story]