Posted on 07/16/2014 2:02:38 AM PDT by Star Traveler
The Egyptian cease-fire initiative proposes precisely what Hamas said from the outset it would refuse: “quiet for quiet.” Hamas and Islamic Jihad are convinced that Egypt designed the cease-fire together with Israel, and that was why Israel accepted it so quickly. Some even believe that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was also involved in the details, which was why he welcomed it. In contrast, activists from Fatah and the Palestine Liberation Organization thought the formulation of the Egyptian proposal rendered it unacceptable. Moreover, Hamas found out about it from the media, and viewed it as an attempt to humiliate the organization, to rob it of its achievement and to invalidate it as a political factor.
Besides the mutual cessation of fire, the proposal calls for the opening of border crossings to people and goods, but at some undefined time “when the situation on the ground stabilizes.”
It does not include a clause that Hamas considers essential, in light of past experience: international guarantees that Israel will meet its obligations. Neither does the agreement address the organization’s demand that Israel release all the prisoners freed in the Shalit swap who were rearrested over the past few weeks.
Hamas and PLO organizations agree that Israel is working to thwart the reconciliation government. But this consensus has not brought Ramallah to Hamas and to Gaza. On the contrary. Some in the PLO say Abbas should have gone to Gaza when the conflict began rather than making do with symbolic promises of future action. Going to Gaza under fire isn’t his style, but it earned him more black marks. On Monday he ordered some of his ministers to Gaza. The health minister in the reconciliation government did go, during a break in the Israeli air raids, but his car was pelted with rocks and eggs.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
Hamas will never agree to peace with Israel. It is against their principles.
PS: It is writers like Hass and Gideon Levy that make Ha’aretz the favorite israeli newspaper - the only one - for the “euro-elites”.
I would have thought Hamas would have taken the cease fire as time to fix, rearm and get more rockets ready. Israel had fallen for the cease fire as they typically do. Hamas has not taken advantage of it, I suspect, because of the politics of who proposed it. Thus leaving Hamas in Gaza in a bad position which they so richly deserve.
You do know Hamas has agreed to prior cease-fires, so ... they do actually do that ... :-) ...
We’re not talking about a peace agreement here.
They didn’t need to rearm right now ... because as I understand it, they shot off over a thousand rockets in the last week, and had another 6 or 7 thousand remaining!
Twitter feed @underattackbot reports every missile launch at Israel in real time. Yesterday was amazing/terrifying in frequency.
You do know Hamas has agreed to prior cease-fires, so ... they do actually do that ... :-) ...
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They haven’t felt enough pain yet to agree ... send in the D9’s raze and burn.
and..... until the rockets are all used up, Hamas doesn’t get the final payment from Iran.
Bibi needs to use a couple of rods from God. Also take out Mecca and medina while you’re at it.
Haaretz is Israel’s version of the NY Slimes. Never expect anything else from it.
I find it humorous that Hamas wants guarantees that Israel will live up to its word.
Kind of like Jeffrey Dahmer demanding his victims promise to make him a tasty meal...
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