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Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (second left) attending a Hamas-led 'counter-conference' in Gaza hours before the start of a Middle East peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland. (Reuters)
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Hamas: Abbas has no right to give up one inch of Palestine
By News Agencies
Tags: Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinans 

Hours before the start of a U.S.-hosted Middle East peace conference, Gaza's Hamas rulers stepped up their attacks on Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, calling him a traitor and saying they would reject any decisions that come out of the international gathering.

"The Land of Palestine ... is purely owned by the Palestinians," senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar said in a speech. "No person, group, government or generation has the right to give up one inch of it."

"Anyone who stands in the face of resistance or fights it or cooperates with the occupation against it is a traitor," he added. He spoke at a conference, held in Gaza City, attended by some 2,000 activists from local militant groups opposed to the U.S. conference.
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Hamas and other militant groups have been holding a series of protests this week against the U.S. peace conference, underscoring the challenges Abbas faces at home as he tries to make peace with Israel.

Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Abbas' forces in June, leaving him in charge of a pro-Western government based in the West Bank. Abbas' lack of control over Gaza has raised questions about his ability to carry out any future peace deal.

While moving to bolster Abbas, Israel has stepped up pressure on Hamas since the Gaza takeover, carrying out numerous airstrikes and ground incursions to halt Palestinian militant attacks. On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces killed at least four Hamas militants in two separate incidents in the northern Gaza Strip.

Hamas' criticism of Abbas has grown increasingly heated - and personal - ahead of the Mideast conference. Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of Gaza's Hamas government, was among a series of Hamas leaders to sign a document Monday stating that Abbas has no right to make concessions in peace talks.

"The people believe that this conference is fruitless and that any recommendations or commitments made in the conference that harm our rights will not be binding for our people," Haniyeh said. "It will be binding only for those who sign it."

A senior member of the militant movement Islamic Jihad, Mohammed al-Hindi, said at the gathering "we believe that with patience, we will change the rules of the game." ,

"Our jihad and sacrifice will bring us the great victory we are looking for," he added.

Al-Hindi said that the peace talks will promote "a false illusion of a Palestinian state" and that "such a state would be divided and surrounded by Israel and its task would be striking the resistance and protecting Israel."

"This conference is to announce the rise of the Palestinian people, who will not beg for their rights" from Bush, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, al-Hindi declared.

The U.S. summit was getting under way Monday in Washington, with U.S. President George W. Bush inviting the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to separate meetings at the White House before an opening dinner later in the day. The centerpiece of the gathering will be an all-day session Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland, to be attended by representatives of 16 Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Syria.

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  • IDF strikes kill at least 4 Hamas militants in Gaza
  • Ahead of summit, Hamas threatens to make deadlier Qassam rockets
  • Hezbollah joins Tehran and Hamas in denouncing Annapolis talks
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      1.   lieberman for president!!!!!!!!! 17:18  |  matilda 26/11/07
      2.   Only Hamas does the fighting for peace... 17:30  |  S 26/11/07
      3.   Olmert has no right to give up 1 cm. of Israel. 17:34  |  Avraham 26/11/07
      4.   Great excuse for Hamas to take the West Bank 17:38  |  Avi 26/11/07
      5.   Where are the screams of the Leftists? 17:41  |  Binyamin Dissen 26/11/07
      6.   Olmert has no right to give one inch of Eretz Israel 17:51  |  Moshe Benzaquen 26/11/07
      7.   Annapolis 17:52  |  Chris 26/11/07
      8.   hes right! but? where is palestine ? 17:55  |  victor hardman 26/11/07
      9.   Whose move is it??? 18:20  |  Cool B 26/11/07
      10.   Hamas makes Abbas look Moderate 18:30  |  Avi 26/11/07
      11.   Haniyeh`s one inch 18:36  |  Brod 26/11/07
      12.   Hamas doesn`t want peace and they make no bones about it 18:52  |  Conroy 26/11/07
      13.   #1 matilda ....Hamas failed Gaza 18:55  |  Lynn 26/11/07
      14.   hamas` gift 18:56  |  real vision 26/11/07
      15.   Avi...calm down 18:56  |  Lynn 26/11/07
      16.   CIVIL WAR IN ISRAEL IS VERY CLOSE...... 18:59  |  JERUSALEM 26/11/07
      17.   2,000 attend anti-Annapolis `counter conference` in Gaza 19:04  |  Dov 26/11/07
      18.   Only Hamas has the right to give up anything 19:12  |  Murray of Montreal 26/11/07
      19.   Good for Haniyeh& Hamas,the Illegal Presence of israel in 19:13  |  lakshmi 26/11/07
      20.   THERE`S NO SUCH THING AS "PALESTINE" 19:40  |  Yishai Kohen 26/11/07
      21.   Lakshmi doesn`t get it 19:50  |  Jackie 26/11/07
      22.   Israeli government has failed its people 19:52  |  Hubal 26/11/07
      23.   lakshmi.Israel 19:53  |  Figaro 26/11/07
      24.   The voice of Islam... 20:05  |  Blogowitz 26/11/07
      25.   The only thing Hamas will bring to the table for the Palis 20:12  |  Mark 26/11/07
      26.   OLMERT THEN HAS NO RIGHT TO GIVE UP AN INCH OF ISRAEL!!! 20:16  |  ALEX Boda 26/11/07
      27.   to Yishai Kohen and lakshmi 20:31  |  Moshe Benzaquen 26/11/07
      28.   Such Racists, Hamas...dont even know geography 20:53  |  David 26/11/07
      29.   Finally agee with Hamas 21:04  |  Paul 26/11/07
      30.   Where is `The Land if Palestine` ? 21:44  |  Dafma 26/11/07
      31.   Only HAMAS 21:47  |  Gabriel 26/11/07
      32.   locshmuk shut up alreardy!!!!!!!!!!!!! 22:16  |  e 26/11/07
      33.   Hamas not objecting to "apartheid" 22:19  |  Paul Freedman 26/11/07
      34.   lakshmi # 19 22:52  |  ChanahS 26/11/07
      35.   #15 Say Lynn, cupcake!! 23:15  |  ballistic 26/11/07
      36.   DEMANDS MADE 23:34  |  TOBIA 26/11/07
      37.   The winds of war. 23:58  |  Baz Mann 26/11/07
      38.   Hamas states That Abbas has noo right to give up one inch of 00:06  |  Max the Horoscope 27/11/07
      39.   from abbas to hamas only two lettersare changing!!!! 00:06  |  eduardo 27/11/07
      40.   # 35 ballistic and "our oil" 00:40  |  Lynn 27/11/07
      41.   Hamas 01:09  |  Milton 27/11/07
      42.   JERUSALEM #16 Fear not 01:33  |  Hubal 27/11/07
      43.   About the "one inch" mantams 01:45  |  Fortuna Benmayor 27/11/07
      44.   Not one KW of power to Gaza, starting now 01:50  |  Genuine Tosefta 27/11/07
      45.   21Jackie,not crystal clear what Hamas`s present position is,and 02:01  |  lakshmi 27/11/07
      46.   #20 Yishai 03:01  |  George Kaplan 27/11/07
      47.   35Ballistic ,greetings! Well said! Do look at my post 41 to 03:12  |  lakshmi 27/11/07
      48.   TAKE LOOK AT PICTURE 03:49  |  TOBIA 27/11/07
      49.   #45 lakshmi pretty clear to most what Hamas position is 04:22  |  Lynn 27/11/07
      50.   Hamas you are wrong 05:50  |  cristo 27/11/07
      51.   what is Israel waiting for? 06:01  |  Daniel 27/11/07
      52.   Israel .... Don`t you give an inch 06:31  |  James 27/11/07
      53.   "Hamas, the gravy train"! 12:58  |  Stephen 27/11/07
      54.   shock and disgust 13:46  |  Sam 27/11/07
      55.   Earial Sharon! 20:42  |  Wondering! 27/11/07
      56.   Hamas 20:52  |  The Wright! 27/11/07
      57.   Yishai #20 22:07  |  Doug 27/11/07
      58.   Reply to Mr Benzaquen 27 22:45  |  Briton 27/11/07
      59.   PM Haniyeh is so right patience will win the day ... 22:59  |  Dutch 27/11/07
      60.   Lakshmi, Re: The Palestinian collaborators... 23:17  |  Dutch 27/11/07
      61.   to #44 Genuine toss fat 23:24  |  David 27/11/07
      62.   Hey Binyamin #5, Did you see Avraham #3?? 23:58  |  B`Galil 27/11/07
      63.   #40 Say Cupcake Lynn 01:36  |  ballistic 28/11/07
      64.   #49 Lakshmi 01:44  |  ballistic 28/11/07
      65.   #53 Say Stephen---corrupt Hamas???!! 01:49  |  ballistic 28/11/07
      66.   Hamas envy 10:02  |  Linda 28/11/07
      67.   Peace and Love befofre all and between all nations 10:49  |  Bernheim Caroline 30/11/07
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