REPORT - Gaza: Changing course for Hamas? Hamas just celebrated its 23rd year of existence…it has now been almost four year since the Islamist took control of the Gaza strip and two years since the last massive Israeli military operation there. And, the party seems to be softening some its stances. During his last press conference with the foreign press, Hamas prime minister Ismael Hanyeh announced his party's readiness to accept the results of a Palestinian referendum on major issues even if results were contrary to some of the islamist parties' key beliefs. The announcement took some by surprise as it comes from a party which has always claimed to want all of historic Palestine back, "from the river to the sea.