Militants gain ground in Mideast

RAMALLAH, West Bank, May 12 (UPI) -- A Hamas official in the West Bank says the map of the Middle East is being redrawn by militant groups gaining power over U.S.-backed regimes.

Sheik Yazeeb Khader, a Ramallah activist and editor, says Hezbollah's dramatic gains in Lebanon last week are part of a regional process that began in the Gaza Strip last year and will continue in Jordan and Egypt, The Washington Times reported Monday.

Khader's predictions highlight a growing alliance linking Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah that straddles the rift between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

The possibility of new countries falling under Islamist influence is a goal of Hamas' parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood.

"What is going on in Lebanon at this hour is actually the overthrow of Lebanon by Hezbollah," says Israeli lawmaker Zeev Boim.

He said Hezbollah's rise in Lebanon is likely to prompt a new round of fighting with Israel.