Middle Eastern Peaceniks

Well, it's good to see that Hamas has their eye on the prize.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A leader of Hamas on Sunday accused Israel of violating a recent cease-fire agreement, hinted the militant group is using the current period of calm to rearm itself and warned that tensions over Jerusalem could quickly spill over into violence.

Hamas, which is expected to win a large share of seats in Palestinian parliamentary elections in July, also will oppose any peace agreement with Israel, said Mahmoud Zahar, one of the group's top figures in Gaza.

In a statement published in the Al Quds daily, Zahar criticized Israel's announcement last week that it plans to expand Maaleh Adumim, a major settlement near Jerusalem.

The planned construction would link the settlement to Jerusalem, separating Arab neighborhoods of the city from the rest of the West Bank. The Palestinians claim all the West Bank as part of a future independent state, with east Jerusalem as their capital.

Let's hope that President Abbas steps up to the plate and smites Hamas over this.