Hamas and Israel in truce mediation

Joby · 03-11-08, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Israeli and Hamas officials are discussing a possible ceasefire through Egyptian mediators after Ehud Olmert, Israel's prime minister, ordered a halt to raids on the Gaza Strip.

The order was issued on Monday in response to a significant drop in the number of rockets and mortars being fired from the territory, offficials said.

"We certainly appear to have entered a period of talking rather than fighting now," Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reported from Gaza.

"For more than three days now there have been virtually no rocket attacks into Israel ... and also there have been no Israeli air strikes, no overflights of Gaza."

Both Israeli defence officials and Hamas leaders have insisted that no formal truce has been agreed so far, but officials in Olmert's office told said that he had ordered the army to scale back its operations to allow talks to proceed.

Al Jazeera reports on the uneasy calm in Gaza

"It seems that Hamas has decided for now not to shoot, and we're not shooting either," said an Israeli government official.

"This could well become a ceasefire, but the ball is in Hamas' court," he said.

Ahmed Youssef, an advisor to Hamas told Al Jazeera: "We hope the Israelis will understand that the time has come to lift the sanctions."

"We would like to lay the foundations for peaceful discussions," he said.

Hmmm....looks like the Bush Administration knew what it was doing supportingg Egypt.

It's weird sayng something like that.

Anyway, hope they're really on to something.

Al Jazeera English - News - Hamas And Israel In Truce Mediation

gunner · 03-11-08, 07:52 AM

lets hope something positive can come out of the talks. Unfortunately you have got to deal with Hamas, but i feel Israel have showed there willingness for resolve by acting swiftly in engaging Hamas once rocket attacks subsided.

paul.

Simon W. Moon · 03-11-08, 08:04 AM

If I thought there were good guys I'd support 'em.

Those in power on each side seems to like blood-thirsty dolts. I guess that's the side the bread is buttered on atm.

I suspect that the will of the general populace is for doing something other than killing and dying. However, the general populace rarely has the same access to power that special, moneyed interests have.

As long as influential people are making money on the conflict, it will continue.

GarzaUK · 03-11-08, 08:37 AM

Even Hamas can't control all the split off militant Palestinian factions in Gaza. Of these factions will fire rockets over the border and then, boom, Israel retaliate. Back to square one.

Joby · 03-11-08, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarzaUK

Even Hamas can't control all the split off militant Palestinian factions in Gaza. Of these factions will fire rockets over the border and then, boom, Israel retaliate. Back to square one.

True, though it'd be much easier to fall off the edge in the state of siege.

quatrotritikali · 03-12-08, 01:56 AM

Now that Israel and Hamas have reached a tentative peace, let's see how long the uncivilized Arabs (woops, sorry...that was redundant) can maintain that peace. Remember, it won't be Israel who breaks the truce first.

In fact, Israel was attacked by a rocket just hours ago, but has pledged not to retaliate as the rocket was not fired by Hamas.

Article: Israel pledges restraint after rocket - Yahoo! News

mpg · 03-12-08, 03:17 PM

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Originally Posted by GarzaUK

Even Hamas can't control all the split off militant Palestinian factions in Gaza. Of these factions will fire rockets over the border and then, boom, Israel retaliate. Back to square one.

If a bunch of psychos in Buffalo started shooting rockets into Toronto, the US government wouldn't just throw up its hands and say "There's nothing we can do about it.".

Joby · 03-12-08, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quatrotritikali

Now that Israel and Hamas have reached a tentative peace, let's see how long the uncivilized Arabs (woops, sorry...that was redundant) can maintain that peace. Remember, it won't be Israel who breaks the truce first.

It was the IDF who killed 7 members of a family on a Gaza beach, ending Hamas's 16-month ceasefire in 2006.

Quote:

In fact, Israel was attacked by a rocket just hours ago, but has pledged not to retaliate as the rocket was not fired by Hamas.

While the temptation to attack is certainly there, I'm glad Israel is willing to hold back and try and make something work.

Joby · 03-12-08, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpg

If a bunch of psychos in Buffalo started shooting rockets into Toronto, the US government wouldn't just throw up its hands and say "There's nothing we can do about it.".

But Hamas, and the PLO for that matter, aren't in Buffalo.

They're literally sitting on top of a volcano, trying to keep it from exploding. Or so it would appear, from the talks going forward.

mpg · 03-12-08, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joby

But Hamas, and the PLO for that matter, aren't in Buffalo.

They're literally sitting on top of a volcano, trying to keep it from exploding. Or so it would appear, from the talks going forward.

If they can't control the situation in their own territory then they have nothing to offer at peace talks.