A Hamas political leader denied that a statement from the militant group threatening civil war with the Palestinian Authority is authentic. Ismail Hanieh said the statement, which accused Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat of treason, ran counter to the political goals of the Islamic group. His comments came after the military wing of Hamas warned of civil war if the Palestinian Authority continues its crackdown on the group. It is not unusual for Hamas to issue contradictory statements because the group is divided into military and political cells operating both in the self-rule areas and in neighboring countries.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
