Give Them An Inch, They'll Want A Yard

Hamas will not stop attacks even if Israel withdrawals from Gaza:

Before the meeting, a top Hamas leader said the militant group would continue attacks on Israelis, despite the withdrawal plans.

The meeting came less than a week after Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Cabinet approved a plan to evacuate settlements and soldiers from Gaza, where 1.3 million Palestinians live in crowded poverty, by the end of 2005. Under the plan, Israel would maintain control of Gaza's coast, airspace and border with Egypt.

Mahmoud Zahar, the Hamas official, said that the continued Israeli presence was unacceptable.

"We do not trust the Israelis, and we do not trust that the Israelis are going to withdraw from Gaza while they are speaking of controlling the sea and the air. Until the occupation completely ends, our resistance will continue," he said.

It is far better for groups such as Hamas to have the status quo since building and maintaining a country is far harder than fighting for one. Ask Arafat about that.