Quote of the Day

“The situation in Gaza has more to do with Hamas’s relations with the region than confrontation with Israel.”

Egyptian official, according to the International Crisis Group

Update: For clarification of the meaning there, check out the Economist’s leader on the Gaza attacks, titled “The Hundred Years’ War”:

Tzipi Livni, Israel’s foreign minister, has been saying all week that, although Israel’s immediate aim is to stop the rocket fire and not to topple Hamas, there can be no peace, and no free Palestine, while Hamas remains in control. She is right that with Hamas in power in Gaza the Islamists can continue to wreck any agreement Israel negotiates with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority on the West Bank. Mr Abbas, along with Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak, may quietly relish Hamas being taken down a peg. Egypt is furious at Hamas’s recent refusal to renew talks with Fatah about restoring a Palestinian unity government.