Hamas softens rhetoric on Israel

Hamas announced today in a new visioning document that it would accept a Palestinian state restored to its 1967 borders—a shift for the Islamic militant group that has previously called for the total destruction of Israel. In 1967, Israel won land the Palestinians previously held in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Hamas now controls the Gaza Strip. The document released today seems to accept a return to the 1967 status quo as an interim step to re-establishing full Palestinian control of the region. It represents a softening of Hamas’ hardline stance a day before President Donald Trump plans to meet with Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas, one of Hamas’ main political rivals.