The Islamic militant group Hamas is seeking a role in running the Gaza Strip once Israel withdraws, lobbying for posts in the education and health ministries as well as the security forces, Palestinian officials told The Associated Press. Analysts say a stake in the system might make Hamas less likely to attack Israelis, to avoid provoking a reoccupation. But its leaders say — at least in public — that they have no intention of halting attacks. Palestinians officials said it is too early to say whether Hamas can work within an administrative structure with other factions. But Hamas and another extremist group, Islamic Jihad, have begun drafting an agreement with Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority on how to run the Gaza Strip jointly after Israel’s pullout, officials said Friday. Full Story
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