Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Hamas has not received anything new from Israel and will not change its positions.

VOA: standard.2009.03.15

Herzog said Israel does not know what Hamas's demands are and therefore "it would be appropriate to keep expectations realistic."

VOA: standard.2009.03.15

It also wants a guarantee from Hamas that militants will not use construction materials to build bunkers and weapons to attack Israel.

VOA: standard.2010.01.02

The ministry said the report does not mention Hamas' "deliberate use" of civilians as human shields.

CNN: Amnesty seeks embargo against Israel, Palestinians

More likely, agrees Diana Buttu, a former adviser to Mr Abbas, the famously diffident Palestinian president wanted to avoid a showdown, and simply did not expect Hamas to go so far.

ECONOMIST: From now on, the Palestinians are not themselves

The Egyptians scored points again earlier this month, when Hamas blocked the exit of Gazans headed for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, on the ground that the Saudis had granted visas only to those who had applied through the PA and not through Hamas.

ECONOMIST: Egypt and Gaza