A Two-State Solution for the Mideast Finds Itself with Three Pieces



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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.



For a week now, Palestinians have had to deal with a new political reality. Their territories are now split between control by Fatah in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. About one and one-half million people live in Gaza; more than two million live in the West Bank.



Hamas forces took control of Gaza last week in the worst conflict ever between Palestinians. In just a few days the Islamic militants of Hamas defeated the security forces of Fatah.



Fatah is the party of Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas is supported by Iran and Syria. It was created with an aim of destroying Israel and has killed hundreds of Israelis.



So where does all this leave efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks? The goal is to create an independent Palestine from the territories next to Israel. President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet Monday in Egypt to discuss the situation. They last met in April.



Mister Olmert says he hopes that serious negotiations about a Palestinian state will be able to start soon.



President Abbas has moved quickly to dismiss a Hamas-led unity government and establish an emergency government. The new cabinet, sworn in Sunday, is made up of independents and close allies of Fatah. The prime minister is Salam Fayyad, an international economist.



Mister Abbas has received support for his new government from the Arab League as well as the European Union and the United States. President Bush called the Palestinian president "a reasonable voice amongst the extremists" in that area of the world.



The United States and the European Union announced this week that they will restart financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. The aid was suspended for more than a year because the Hamas-led government refused to recognize Israel's right to exist.



Western governments are also offering more money for United Nations humanitarian efforts in Gaza. But some people fear a humanitarian crisis. There are also concerns that a complete boycott of Hamas could turn Gaza into a base for international terrorism.



Israel, the United States and the European Union have declared Hamas a terrorist organization. Yet dissatisfaction with Fatah leaders and what was seen as abuse of power and corruption helped bring Hamas to power.



Hamas began its rise to popularity in the late nineteen eighties, during the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. Hamas established social services for Palestinians. Following the Oslo peace agreements in the early nineties, it launched a campaign of suicide bombings against Israel.



Two years ago Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza. Then, early last year, Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections. The victory led to fighting between Hamas and Fatah. And that led to the unity government which took office three months ago.



And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I'm Steve Ember.



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两国方案使中东地区分裂成三部分



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这里是美国之音特别英语《新闻动态》节目。



这个星期以来，巴勒斯坦人不得不面对一个新的政治现实。他们的版图目前被分成了两块，分别是受控于法塔赫的西岸和受控于哈马斯的加沙地带。大约有一百五十万左右人口居住在加沙；西岸则聚集了两百多万人。



哈马斯部队上周夺得了加沙地区的控制权，这一次的武装冲突是巴勒斯坦人之间最激烈的一次。短短几天时间，哈马斯的伊斯兰部队就击败了法塔赫的安全部队。



巴勒斯坦政权的总统法塔赫是马哈茂德•阿巴斯政党的一份子。哈马斯的支持者则是伊朗和叙利亚。他们的支持旨在摧毁以色列，他们已经杀害了许多以色列人。



哪里还能找到重启以色列－巴勒斯坦的和平会谈的影子呢？目标是建立一个与以色列相邻的独立的巴勒斯坦。总统阿巴斯和以色列首相埃胡德•奥尔默特将于下周一在埃及商讨这一局势。他们的上次会面是在四月。



奥尔默特先生表示他希望关于巴勒斯坦的严肃谈判马上就能开始。



阿巴斯总统很快就采取行动以解散以哈马斯为首的联合政权，并成立一个临时政府。新内阁于星期天宣誓成立，这个内阁由中立派和法塔赫的亲信同盟组成。首相沙勒姆•法亚德是一名国际经济学家。



阿巴斯先生的新政府赢得了阿拉伯联盟，欧盟以及美国的支持。布什总统称巴勒斯坦总统是全世界“极端分子中间的理性的声音”。



美国和欧盟于本周宣布他们将重新启动对巴勒斯坦政权的财政援助。该援助停止运行已经超过一年，因为以哈马斯为首的政府拒绝承认以色列权利的存在。



西方政府也向联合国在加沙地区的人道主义努力给予财政援助。但是很多人担心会发生人道主义危机。也有人担心人们对哈马斯的联合抵制会让加沙转而成为一个国际恐怖行动的基地。



以色列、美国和欧盟联合公告哈马斯是一个恐怖组织。然而，对法塔赫领导人的不满、权力的滥用以及腐败使得哈马斯有机会夺得政权。



二十世纪八十年代，在首次巴勒斯坦反抗以色列占领其领土的运动中，哈马斯就开始着手提高其声望。哈马斯为巴勒斯坦人建立了社会服务。二十世纪初期奥斯陆和平条约签订之后，哈马斯发动了一场反对以色列的自杀性炸弹事件的活动。



两年前以色列部队从加沙撤出。随后，去年年初，哈马斯赢得了巴勒斯坦国会的选举。这次胜选引发了哈马斯和法塔赫之间的战争，而这次胜选又让联合政府在三个月前掌握了政权。



这里是美国之音特别英语《新闻动态》节目，本节目由布赖恩•布莱克撰写。史蒂夫•恩伯为您报道。



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