The Islamic militant group Hamas has drafted a new political program it hopes will improve ties with neighboring Egypt and the West, and present a more moderate image that will help it get off Western terrorism lists. The document plays down ties to Hamas' parent movement, the regional Muslim Brotherhood, which is being targeted by Egypt's government as a terror organization. In Gaza, the base of Hamas' political power, strongman Yehiya Sinwar, a former long-term prisoner in Israel who is close to the Hamas military wing, was chosen for the top spot. A decade later, the group's then-spiritual leader, Ahmed Yassin, appeared to soften positions, raising the possibility of a Palestinian state in the 1967 lines. Hamas' ties with Egypt worsened significantly after elected Egyptian president from the Brotherhood, Mohammed Morsi, was ousted by the military in 2013.

Source: Egypt Independent March 21, 2017 06:22 UTC