Hamas may declare independence in 2009

Firas Press quotes sources close to Hamas that the terror group may declare Gaza an independent state next year:

A source close to Hamas said that there is a desire for Hamas to declare an independent Palestinian state in Gaza after 9/1/2009, which ends the period of [Mahmoud Abbas'] presidential term. ...Hamas' reasona re that Gaza has no Israeli soldiers and thus this would be a first stage to liberate the rest of the occupied Palestinian state.

The source hinted that Hamas ...wants to declare the state on any piece of land,..and it would take this step with the blessing of Iran and the State of Qatar. And Iran will recognize that State, as well as Syria, and Qatar is likely to recognize the State in the future.

With this step after Hamas had declared full independence it will be able to hold presidential and legislative elections in the Gaza Strip as an independent Palestinian state...

The source and that this is the reason that Hamas accepted the degrading calm [with Israel] - to achieve the dream state of Hamas.

This sounds a little fishy, as the source is seemingly not from Hamas itself. Some other parts of the story sounded a little "off," but it is possible that there is some thinking along these lines by Hamas or Iran.