Hamas fighters and looters control Gaza, defy Abbas
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Islamist Hamas fighters and looters ransacked the blood-spattered Palestinian presidential compound in Gaza on Friday as their leader ordered an end to reprisals against their routed, Western-backed Fatah rivals.
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Hamas has full security control, but no political authority. Ministries were deserted, the courts were not operating. All the major Fatah security headquarters have been ransacked along with the private homes of their key officers.
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Hamas forces have seized the southern Gaza town of Rafah on the Egyptian border, further establishing its control of the Palestinian territory, Palestinian security sources told CNN today. As many as 70 Palestinians have been killed since the Palestinian-on-Palestinian violence escalated four days ago.
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Hamas made significant gains against the ruling Fatah party in Thursday's municipal elections.
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Hamas militants cement domination over Gaza but appear to make conciliatory overtures to Fatah.
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Israel looks powerless to stop the barrage of rockets from Hamas-ruled Gaza. The Islamic militants, choked by a blockade of their territory, find it increasingly difficult to hold on to power. And moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is facing growing pressure to suspend peace talks because of Israel's strikes in Gaza.
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RAMALLAH, West Bank  - Hamas militants defeated  the mainstream Palestinian movement Fatah in nine of 26 local  elections, results showed Sunday, in a foretaste of challenges  confronting emerging moderate leader Mahmoud Abbas.
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RAFAH, Egypt  - Palestinians streamed home across Gaza's breached border with Egypt on Sunday as Egyptian authorities choked off supplies to the area and vowed to restore control.
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Cheering Hamas supporters wearing green headbands and waving flags surged through Gaza's streets Friday as Islamic militants in black masks took over one of President Mahmoud Abbas' offices and rifled through his bedroom.
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Washington hoped to neutralize Hamas by strengthening Abbas. But the rout in Gaza has left that strategy in shreds
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Palestinian militant group Hamas has won a huge victory in local polls in Gaza, unofficial results indicate.
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RAMALLAH, West Bank  - The Islamic militant group  Hamas made significant gains in Palestinian municipal  elections, the first contested by the group sworn to destroying  Israel, initial results showed on Friday.
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Hamas Islamic militants scored significant successes in Palestinian municipal elections, the first contested by the group sworn to destroying Israel, initial results showed on Friday.
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The Hamas military takeover was partly fueled by weapons moved through tunnels below the town of Rafah.
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Militant group Hamas makes a strong showing in Palestinian local council elections in the West Bank.
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Israeli tanks and helicopters swept into  the northern Gaza Strip early on Wednesday, a day after  soldiers killed 14 Hamas militants in the biggest ever raid of  its kind.
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Hamas security forces go out in force to prevent Fatah supporters defying a ban on outdoor prayers in Gaza.