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Posted on 01/26/2005 10:24:20 AM PST by Alouette
Ending days of speculation about whether they had agreed to a cease-fire with Israel, Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Tuesday denied that they would halt terrorist attacks "without making Israel pay a price."
Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, the Syria-based head of the movement's political bureau, said there would be no discussion of a truce before the Palestinians test Israel's intentions and receive assurances from the international community that Israel would halt its attacks on the Palestinians.
He described the recent talks between Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as "positive."
"We agreed that the message that we should send to the international community is that the Palestinian resistance is not the problem, but it is Israel's aggression," he said. "We also agreed that our message to the Zionist enemy is that there would be no solution unless the occupation ends."
Asked if the two sides had discussed ways of calming the situation, Mashaal told the London-based daily Al-Hayat: "There is talk about calm, but a conditioned one. If the occupation meets our conditions, including ending the occupation and releasing all the prisoners, we will be prepared to consider a temporary truce."
Mashaal also denied reports about a split between the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip, which is reportedly prepared to accept a truce, and the movement's hard-line leadership in Syria and Lebanon.
Hassan Yousef, Hamas's prominent West Bank leader, warned that Israel's ongoing military raids in the West Bank jeopardize efforts to calm the situation. He was referring to the arrest over the past few days by the IDF of several Hamas suspects in the Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarm areas.
"We condemn these arrests and stress that Hamas can't remain idle in the face of Israel's continued aggression against our people," Yousef said, accusing Israel of seeking to thwart attempts to end the violence.
Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri said that, while progress had been made during the talks with Abbas on the need for major reforms, "there is no talk about calm without a price [from Israel] and as long as the Israeli aggression on our people continues."
Masri listed his movement's conditions for accepting a temporary truce: a release of all Palestinian prisoners, an end to Israeli military operations and a withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the return of bodies of Palestinians killed in attacks against Israel.
"If all these conditions are met, then we will respond positively to the issue of calm," he said. "Hamas is now following the events on the ground and we will determine our position once we see if Israel fulfills these conditions."
Nafez Azzam, a senior Islamic Jihad official in the Gaza Strip, also stated that his group would not accept a unilateral cease-fire that does not include Israeli concessions.
"Our position is clear – there won't be calm from one side without gaining something in return," he said.
"We have always said that the problem lies with Israel, not the Palestinians. Israel is the aggressor and the Palestinians are only defending themselves. We want something in return [from Israel] that would convince not only Islamic Jihad, but the Palestinian people who must feel changes on the ground."
Meanwhile, sources in Ramallah told The Jerusalem Post that Abbas is expected to visit Cairo next week for talks with Egyptian officials on the possibility of holding a meeting of all Palestinian factions in the Egyptian capital to discuss a truce with Israel.
According to the sources, most of the Palestinian factions have agreed in principle to Abbas's initiative to achieve a temporary truce with Israel. "We're closer than ever to achieving a hudna [temporary truce]," said a source close to Abbas, adding that a meeting would be held soon in Cairo between top PA officials and Hamas leaders.
Gazan legislator Ziad Abu Amr, who played a key role in the recent intra-Palestinian discussions, said Hamas and Islamic Jihad have agreed to participate in July's elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council.
He said that despite denials from Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders, all Palestinian factions have agreed to calm the situation to see if Israel is willing to accept their conditions.
WARNING: This is a high volume ping list
Religion of Peace ping.
According to various reports (including Debka but not limited to that) the Israelis are pretty much accepting that Abbas cannot disarm the terrorists, will stop targeted assassinations against them, Peres is saying Israel will rely on Egypt and the PA to patrol the Philadelphia Strip. I never saw a country in such a hurry to succumb to terrorism in exchange for the most illusionary peace. It is too late to blame Sharon, Peres, etc. The Israelis knew what they were getting when Sharon announced during the election campaign that Israel would make painful concessions for a Palestinian state. Worse this has all been tried before with disastrous results. To keep walking into a wall despite the fact that it hurt the last time you did it is the classic definition of stupidity.
"Israel must 'pay' for calm, say Hamas, Islamic Jihad"
I agree. If Israel pays for a few 'daisy-cutter' bombs, pays for some more tanks, and pays for invading, leveling, and paving over any country that threatens it then they'll have peace.
"would not accept a unilateral cease-fire that does not include Israeli concessions."
I thought a cease fire WAS a concession. In one breath these people say the IDF is slaughtering them by the hundreds, the next minute they say a cease fire gives them nothing. Which is it?
The Muslim doctrine of lying called "taqiyya". They will tell any lie to further their Jihad of destroying Israel. Even if Israel left the West Bank and Gaza tomorrow this Jihad would continue. "Occupation" is not the real issue; Jihad and murder is, same as back in Muhammad's day
Are these people simply born with schizophrenia?
Thus saith the LORD of hosts,
"I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."
(1Sam 15:2&2)
This is all a dance for the Europeans who are Israel's biggest trading partners. They are aching to turn Israel into a South Africa style pariah state. Don't take Sharon's worlds at face value. Resistance by Gaza settlers works out great for Sharon because it plays well in Europe as Sharon makes ineffectual attempts to uproot them.
Much of what goes on in Israel is a charade done for the sappy Europeans. To keep them happy
A temporary truce if Israel ends the "occupation."
In other words, the fight will go on even if Israel ends the "occupation." If Israel were to withdraw from every square inch of land it captured in 1967, the fight would still go on. The best the Palestinians would offer in exchange for withdrawal would be a temporary truce.
When they refer to "the occupation," they're often referring to the whole state of israel itself.
They don't think any of it has a right to exist.
This is an argument worthy of a 4 year old who runs to mommy and wants his brother punished for hitting him back.
When cowardly, psychotic, homicidal attacks against innocent occupants of Israel are a distant memory I'm sure the members of the Israeli military will rejoice at not having to risk their lives taking necessary action against those responsible.
God bless,
EODGUY
Are you saying they really have no intention of going through with the eviction of Jews from Gaza? If so I believe you are seriously misreading the situation there.
Their whole culture appears to be floridly psychotic.
Islamist fecal matter.
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