in the Palestinian Authority, Gaza's highest court upheld the death sentence of four men charged with rape and murder

in the Palestinian Authority, Gaza's highest court upheld the death sentence of four men charged with rape and murder. Justice Abdul Raouf Halaby denied the appeal by the men who were convicted of the 2004 rape and murder of a 16-year-old schoolgirl. It is rare for rape charges to become public in Gaza. The convicts' last hope is Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who must approve the sentence even though his government in the West Bank has no real power in Hamas-controlled Gaza. Abbas has not signed off on an execution since he came to power.