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Pawns in a Hamas Power Play
[Jerusalem Post] Anshel Pfeffer - Since it took over Gaza, the increasingly isolated Hamas government has been trying to bring about BBC reporter Alan Johnston's release. It is part of the struggle still going on within Gaza for control of a number of strongholds controlled by tribal gangs and clans. Hamas' hope is that by delivering Johnston safely, it will achieve a degree of legitimacy from the Western governments currently supporting Abbas. Last week, Hamas was poised to attack the compound of the Dughmush clan who are holding the journalist, but backed off when it realized that a dead Johnston would only make things worse. The release of the Shalit tape is based on the same motive - Hamas' effort to break the international isolation. It is a sign of Hamas' desperation for recognition and contact with the outside world that it is so eager now to prove he is alive.