Abbas says won't return to Gaza unless Hamas cedes control

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says that unless he gets full control over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, including the group's weapons, he will "not be responsible for what goes on" there.

Abbas' comments late Sunday dealt another blow to months of U.S.-backed Egyptian efforts to negotiate a deal that would sideline the Islamic militant Hamas and enable Abbas' self-rule government to return to Gaza.

Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in 2007.

Recent talks between Abbas and his rivals failed, mainly because Hamas refuses to disarm. This comes as tensions are rising on the Gaza-Israel border, with Hamas leading mass protests to try to break an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade.

Abbas told leaders of his Fatah movement he has informed Egypt of his demands and is waiting to hear back.</s>Abbas says won't return to Gaza unless Hamas cedes control

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says that unless he gets full control over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, including the group's weapons, he will "not be responsible for what goes on" there.

Abbas' comments late Sunday dealt another blow to months of U.S.-backed Egyptian efforts to negotiate a deal that would sideline the Islamic militant Hamas and enable Abbas' self-rule government to return to Gaza.

Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in 2007.

Recent talks between Abbas and his rivals failed, mainly because Hamas refuses to disarm. This comes as tensions are rising on the Gaza-Israel border, with Hamas leading mass protests to try to break an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade.

Abbas told leaders of his Fatah movement he has informed Egypt of his demands and is waiting to hear back.</s>Abbas says won't return to Gaza unless Hamas cedes control

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says that unless he gets full control over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, including the group's weapons, he will "not be responsible for what goes on" there.

Abbas' comments late Sunday dealt another blow to months of U.S.-backed Egyptian efforts to negotiate a deal that would sideline the Islamic militant Hamas and enable Abbas' self-rule government to return to Gaza.

Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in 2007.

Recent talks between Abbas and his rivals failed, mainly because Hamas refuses to disarm. This comes as tensions are rising on the Gaza-Israel border, with Hamas leading mass protests to try to break an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade.

Abbas told leaders of his Fatah movement he has informed Egypt of his demands and is waiting to hear back.</s>Gaza violence is latest salvo in war of narratives

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians took part in a mass protest along Gaza's volatile border with Israel, the second large-scale demonstration in what is expected to be a steady turnout over the coming weeks.

More than 30 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more wounded by Israeli fire in mass protests on Friday and the previous week.

Gaza's Hamas rulers, who are orchestrating the demonstrations, say the protests are against a decade-old border blockade by Israel. But Israel accuses the Islamic militant group of using the protests as cover for trying to infiltrate the border and attack Israelis. It has warned that anyone approaching the border fence is risking their lives.

Here's a closer look at how the sides reached this point:

Israel captured Gaza, a thin strip of land along the Mediterranean coast, from Egypt in the 1967 Mideast war and occupied the area for nearly four decades before withdrawing all troops and settlements in 2005. Hamas, a militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, won legislative elections the following year and in 2007 seized control of Gaza from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas.

Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade on Gaza in an attempt to weaken the group. Since then, Israel and Hamas have fought three wars, while attempts at internal Palestinian reconciliation have repeatedly failed, in large part because of Hamas' continued refusal to disarm.

Israel has defended the wars as a response to intense rocket fire from Hamas-ruled Gaza, and notes the group's history of suicide bombings and other deadly attacks, especially during the second Palestinian uprising early last decade. But the wars have left several thousand Palestinians dead, more than half of them civilians, drawing heavy international criticism.

The blockade, wars, international isolation and failed attempts at reconciliation have left Gaza's economy in tatters.

Unemployment is approaching 50 percent, according to official Palestinian figures. Gaza's 2 million residents receive only a few hours of electricity each day, tap water is undrinkable and the coastline has been polluted by tons of untreated sewage. The Israeli-Egyptian blockade greatly restricts the movement of people and goods in and out of the small territory of barely 360 square kilometers (139 square miles) making it difficult to do business or travel abroad for work, school or family reasons.

Hamas says the demonstrations are meant to draw attention to the harsh conditions in Gaza. But with public discontent rising, it also appears to be an attempt by the group to shake up the situation after other options failed.

Hamas can also capitalize on any hatred of Israel among Gazans, over half of whom are descendants of refugees from what is now Israel.

Israel says its blockade is aimed only at Hamas, and it has no quarrel with Gaza's civilians. It has been careful to allow the continued flow of humanitarian goods and construction materials into Gaza, and says it will ease the blockade further based on security assessments.

But international organizations like the World Bank and United Nations say the blockade continues to stifle the economy. They have repeatedly urged Israel to ease the restrictions significantly.

Israel says it has no choice, accusing Hamas of trying to smuggle weapons and materials that can become weapons into the territory. It also has asked the international community, which already funnels hundreds of millions of dollars a year into Gaza, to increase aid.

WHY HAVE THE PROTESTS TURNED VIOLENT?

While thousands of Palestinians have gathered for what are billed as nonviolent protests, dozens of young men have approached the border and thrown stones, firebombs and burning tires toward the border fence. Israel has mobilized snipers and other special forces on the other side of the fence.

The Israeli military says Hamas has been using the demonstrations as cover for attacks, and says militants have attempted to carry out shootings, plant bombs and infiltrate the fence in order to attack inside Israel.

Military officials say they have used live fire only as a last resort when all other alternatives, including warning shots and rubber bullets, have failed to stop the demonstrators from reaching the fence. It says it has targeted only main "instigators" trying to carry out attacks.

But witness accounts and amateur videos have shown some demonstrators appeared to be unarmed or far from the fence when they were shot. The United Nations and European Union have called for an independent investigation and urged all sides to show restraint.

Hamas has called for a series of demonstrations in the coming weeks, culminating on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment. Palestinians mark the date as their "naqba," or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were forced or fled from their homes.

Friday's demonstrations were smaller, and the death toll was lower than last week's demonstrations, suggesting the protests could be weakening.

But Hamas' top Gaza official, Yehiyeh Sinwar, made a surprise visit to one of the protests and appeared to issue a new threat. "Wait for our great move, when we breach the borders and pray at Al-Aqsa," referring to the major Muslim shrine in Jerusalem.

With Israeli communities lying just a few hundred meters away from the border, Israel has made clear that it will not accept any breach.

Sinwar's threat could set the stage for another serious round of violence in the coming weeks.</s>(JERUSALEM) — The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court raised concerns Sunday that Israel and Hamas may have committed war crimes during a current flare-up of violence in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Fatou Bensouda’s office expressed “grave concern” over the shootings of Palestinians by Israeli troops during mass protests along Gaza’s border with Israel.

Her office said that Israel’s “violence against civilians — in a situation such as one prevailing in Gaza” may constitute war crimes. But in an apparent reference to Gaza’s Hamas rulers, she also said “the use of civilian presence for the purpose of shielding military activities” could also be a war crime.

Bensouda is already in the midst of a “preliminary examination” of possible war crimes, launched in the wake of a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. That is the first step toward a formal war crimes investigation.

“While a preliminary examination is not an investigation, any new alleged crime committed in the context of the situation in Palestine may be subjected to my office’s scrutiny,” she said. “This applies to the events of the past weeks and to any future incident.”

Palestinian health officials say at least 31 people have been killed by Israeli fire, including 25 people killed during protests.

Israel says the protests are a smoke screen for attacks on its troops and attempts to breach the border fence. It says militants have attempted to carry out shootings plant bombs or infiltrate the fence, and that its snipers have only fired at “instigators” trying to carry out attacks.

The Israeli military said Sunday that it had located two explosive devices near the border hours after three Palestinians from Gaza apparently crossed briefly into Israeli territory.

But witness accounts and amateur videos have shown some demonstrators appeared to be unarmed or far from the fence when they were shot. The European Union and United Nations have called for an independent investigation into the incidents.

Hamas, an Islamic militant group that calls for Israel’s destruction, has called for a series of protests until May 15, the anniversary of Israel’s founding when Palestinians commemorate their mass uprooting during the 1948 war over Israel’s creation.

Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel and its Western allies, has controlled Gaza since ousting forces of internationally recognized President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. On Sunday, Abbas said that unless his government reassumes full control over Gaza, including the rival party’s weapons stockpiles, he will “not be responsible for what goes on” there.

Recent reconciliation efforts by Abbas’s Fatah party and Hamas have stalled, largely because Hamas refuses to disarm and cede control of Gaza to Abbas’s Palestinian Authority.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars in the Gaza Strip since 2009, and the most recent conflict in 2014 prompted the ICC to launch its preliminary investigation into possible war crimes.</s>Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says that unless he gets full control over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, including the group’s weapons, he will “not be responsible for what goes on” there.

Abbas’ comments late Sunday dealt another blow to months of U.S.-backed Egyptian efforts to negotiate a deal that would sideline the Islamic militant Hamas and enable Abbas’ self-rule government to return to Gaza.

Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in 2007.

Recent talks between Abbas and his rivals failed, mainly because Hamas refuses to disarm. This comes as tensions are rising on the Gaza-Israel border, with Hamas leading mass protests to try to break an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade.

Abbas told leaders of his Fatah movement he has informed Egypt of his demands and is waiting to hear back.</s>RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says that unless he gets full control over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, including the group’s weapons, he will “not be responsible for what goes on” there.

Abbas’ comments late Sunday dealt another blow to months of U.S.-backed Egyptian efforts to negotiate a deal that would sideline the Islamic militant Hamas and enable Abbas’ self-rule government to return to Gaza.

Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in 2007.

Recent talks between Abbas and his rivals failed, mainly because Hamas refuses to disarm. This comes as tensions are rising on the Gaza-Israel border, with Hamas leading mass protests to try to break an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade.

Abbas told leaders of his Fatah movement he has informed Egypt of his demands and is waiting to hear back.</s>NAHAL OZ (Israel)
• With tear gas and burning tyres fouling the air and gunfire periodically ringing out from one direction, Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers faced off last week along the fence hemming in the Gaza Strip for the second straight week.

Ten Palestinians were killed last Friday, including two teenagers, and 1,000 were wounded, Palestinian officials said.

The demonstrations were smaller than those last week, when 21 people were killed.

But the death toll was significant, despite a pledge by Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, that the protest would be peaceful and by Israel that it had learned from last week and would use live fire judiciously.

A Palestinian journalist died yesterday after being wounded by Israeli fire last Friday while covering the deadly protests. Health officials said a live bullet had penetrated the side of Mr Yaser Murtaja, 30, a cameraman for Palestinian Ain Media, and he succumbed to his wounds in hospital. An Israeli military spokesman had no immediate comment.

The protests are aimed at Israel's blockade of Gaza, which began after Hamas seized control in 2007. Billed as a six-week "March of Return", the demonstrations are to culminate on May 15 with Nakba Day, which commemorates the flight and expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during Israel's 1948 war for independence.

By last Friday, it was clear that they had already achieved one Palestinian aim: shifting the focus of international attention away from the struggle between Hamas and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority - and on to the stark image of Gaza as a prison with Israel as its jailer.</s>Abbas says won't return to Gaza unless Hamas cedes control

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says that unless he gets full control over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, including the group's weapons, he will "not be responsible for what goes on" there.

Abbas' comments late Sunday dealt another blow to months of U.S.-backed Egyptian efforts to negotiate a deal that would sideline the Islamic militant Hamas and enable Abbas' self-rule government to return to Gaza.

Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in 2007.

Recent talks between Abbas and his rivals failed, mainly because Hamas refuses to disarm. This comes as tensions are rising on the Gaza-Israel border, with Hamas leading mass protests to try to break an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade.

Abbas told leaders of his Fatah movement he has informed Egypt of his demands and is waiting to hear back.</s>The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court raised concerns Sunday that Israel and Hamas may have committed war crimes during a current flare-up of violence in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Fatou Bensouda's office expressed "grave concern" over the shootings of Palestinians by Israeli troops during mass protests along Gaza's border with Israel.

Her office said that Israel's "violence against civilians — in a situation such as one prevailing in Gaza" may constitute war crimes. But in an apparent reference to Gaza's Hamas rulers, she also said "the use of civilian presence for the purpose of shielding military activities" could also be a war crime.

Bensouda is already in the midst of a "preliminary examination" of possible war crimes, launched in the wake of a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. That is the first step toward a formal war crimes investigation.

"While a preliminary examination is not an investigation, any new alleged crime committed in the context of the situation in Palestine may be subjected to my office's scrutiny," she said. "This applies to the events of the past weeks and to any future incident."

Palestinian health officials say at least 31 people have been killed by Israeli fire, including 25 people killed during protests.

Israel says the protests are a smoke screen for attacks on its troops and attempts to breach the border fence. It says militants have attempted to carry out shootings plant bombs or infiltrate the fence, and that its snipers have only fired at "instigators" trying to carry out attacks.

The Israeli military said Sunday that it had located two explosive devices near the border hours after three Palestinians from Gaza apparently crossed briefly into Israeli territory.

But witness accounts and amateur videos have shown some demonstrators appeared to be unarmed or far from the fence when they were shot. The European Union and United Nations have called for an independent investigation into the incidents.

Hamas, an Islamic militant group that calls for Israel's destruction, has called for a series of protests until May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding when Palestinians commemorate their mass uprooting during the 1948 war over Israel's creation.

Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel and its Western allies, has controlled Gaza since ousting forces of internationally recognized President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. On Sunday, Abbas said that unless his government reassumes full control over Gaza, including the rival party's weapons stockpiles, he will "not be responsible for what goes on" there.

Recent reconciliation efforts by Abbas's Fatah party and Hamas have stalled, largely because Hamas refuses to disarm and cede control of Gaza to Abbas's Palestinian Authority.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars in the Gaza Strip since 2009, and the most recent conflict in 2014 prompted the ICC to launch its preliminary investigation into possible war crimes.

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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says the PA will take no further responsibility for the Gaza Strip unless Hamas hands over full control.