Israel-Hamas Truce Announced

6.17.08
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Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire arrangement.

"Implementation of the truce will begin at 6am (0300 GMT) on Thursday," a Palestinian official said on Tuesday.

Hamas said it would respect the six-month deal, which materialised after months of mediation by Egypt. "Hamas will adhere to the timetable which was set by Egypt but it is our right to respond to any Israeli aggression before its implementation," Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said.

A ceasefire would aim to end both rocket and mortar bomb attacks on Israel from the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip and Israeli raids in the territory.

Hossam Zaki, Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman, told Al Jazeera that the quiet confirmation of the deal is as official as the ceasefire announcement will get.

"We had problems in the course of the negotiations because one party didn't recognise the other. In fact, they both don't recognise each other, so we wanted to skip the issue of a formal announcement," he said.

"Both sides have pledged to halt all hostilities and all military activities against each other ... [But] what is said by both sides is not important; what is important is the implementation."





Israeli Reaction

Israel stopped short of confirming the timing of what it said would be an informal arrangement to halt fighting.

Mark Regev, a spokesman for Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, said Israel would continue preparations for broad military action should a truce fall apart.

"What is important is not words but actions," he said, repeating Israel's demands for an end to attacks on Israeli civilians, a halt to arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip, and progress towards the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier seized by Gaza fighters two years ago.

Workable Deal

Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said that Hamas is confident that the ceasefire deal is workable.

"The military in Gaza which comes under Hamas jursidiction, would be able to halt and suspend all rockets into southern Israel, and stop any further attacks.

"There is also the belief that the border crossing deal comes into play - allowing necessary fuel back into the territory and therefore reducing power cuts - it will allow a sense of normalcy to resume here.


One Hamas official told me that they don't want to be held responsible for all Palestinian factions in the territory.

"As a result, Egypt in their mediation efforts, presented the ceasefire conditions to all Palestinian factions, so that all those who accept the ceasefire will have to abide by its conditions.

David Chater, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Jerusalem, said that the ceasefire deal was a decision taken by Israel's security apparatus last week, even though they were still preparing for major military incursions.

"Israelis have gained one very important thing from this deal - an agreement in the final phase of this truce to start full-scale negotiations through Egypt for the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit.

Shalit was captured by Palestinian fighters in a cross-border attack in June 2006.

"So at last and at least hope for his family that he will be home soon," Chater said.

"But there are still a number of problems on the way. Hamas wants the Rafah border with Egypt open permanently. But Israel has said they will only open the border upon the release of Shalit.

"Hamas also want 450 Palestinians released from Israeli jails, but many people in Israel have objected to their release, saying they have the blood of many Israelis on their hands."

"It is the beginning of a long and very hard road."

Wow....we shall see how long that lasts.

I hope that this truce can last. We forget that Hamas had a year long cease fire with Israel, while Israel did whatever it wanted. But hopefully this will last.

Interesting

to all the people of the world

JellyBean said:

2elijah said:

thepope2the9s said:

2elijah said:

Wow....we shall see how long that lasts.

co sign

News headlines

"Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man." General Ann Dunwoody

Yeah right.
I don't believe it.
I give it less than a week.

sassybritches said:

I'm glad that Egypt is taking an active role in brokering peace. The U.S. is completely ineffective in doing this. Israel and Egypt are allies, yet Egypt is an Arab nation personally affected by the conflict, and local. Much better dynamic, and shows that Palestine has increasing leverage with the election of Hamas.