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Hamas debates direct talks with Israel

Hamas Deputy Chairman Mousa Abu Marzouk’s bombshell last week that the movement might embark on direct negotiations with Israel has sparked a furious debate within Hamas.

Deputy chairman of Hamas' political bureau Mussa Abu Marzuk (R) hugs a member of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the Islamist movement's armed wing, as he visits relatives of killed senior Hamas commander Mohammed Abu Shamala on August 28, 2014 in Rafah in the southern of Gaza Strip. Shamala, a member of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, has been killed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli warplanes on August 21, 2014. Millions in and around the war-torn coastal enclave were enjoying a second day of peace after
Deputy chairman of Hamas' political bureau, Mousa Abu Marzouk (R), hugs a member of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the Islamist movement's armed wing, as he visits relatives of killed senior Hamas commander Mohammed Abu Shamala in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Aug. 28, 2014. — SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

Hamas has weathered a great political storm in the past few days, following a Sept. 11 announcement by the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, Mousa Abu Marzouk, that the movement might undertake direct negotiations with Israel, since such negotiations have become a popular demand in Gaza but remain forbidden by law.

In the same interview, Abu Marzouk said, “Just as Hamas has negotiated with Israel using weapons, so is it possible to negotiate with words. If the situation in Gaza remains as it is now, Hamas could find itself forced to negotiate with Israel, and many of the things currently forbidden to the movement will be on the table.”

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