THE HAMAS-LED PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT ORDERED ITS NEW MILITIA OFF GAZA'S STREETS ON FRIDAY AFTER CLASHES WITH PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS'S FATAH MOVEMENT THAT STIRRED FEARS OF CIVIL WAR, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. IN RAMALLAH AND GAZA, TOP HAMAS OFFICIALS APPEARED CLOSE TO REJECTING AN ULTIMATUM FROM ABBAS TO BACK A PROPOSAL CALLING FOR PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD THAT IMPLICITLY RECOGNISES ISRAEL, THE REPORT SAID. ABBAS STUNNED HAMAS ON THURSDAY WITH HIS THREAT TO CALL A REFERENDUM ON THE PROPOSAL WITHIN 40 DAYS, EFFECTIVELY GOING OVER THE GOVERNMENT'S HEAD AND SETTING THE STAGE FOR A SHOWDOWN. PRIME MINISTER ISMAIL HANIYEH, A SENIOR HAMAS LEADER, VOWED HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD MAKE NO POLITICAL CONCESSIONS. "WE WILL NOT RECOGNISE THE LEGITIMACY OF THE OCCUPATION, WE WILL NOT RENOUNCE RESISTANCE AND WE WILL NOT RECOGNISE UNJUST (INTERIM PEACE) AGREEMENTS," HANIYEH SAID AT A GAZA MOSQUE, THOUGH HE MADE NO STATEMENTS DIRECTLY REJECTING THE PLAN, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. --MORE
