Israel Lies, Murder Threat's and a Possible Ceasefire By Hamas
Hamas govt says it wants ceasefire with Israel
People carry fake Qassams rockets during a protest in Sderot June 13, 2006. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
June 15, 2006
GAZA (Reuters) -The Hamas government wants a ceasefire with Israel and is willing to ask Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets from Gaza into the Jewish state, a spokesman said on Thursday.
But Ghazi Hamad said Israel had to first stop military activity in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Islamic militant group scrapped a 16-month truce with Israel last Friday and soon after launched a barrage of makeshift rockets at the Jewish state from Gaza.
"I spoke today with the prime minister and he said we definitely want quiet everywhere. We are interested in a ceasefire everywhere," Hamad, speaking in Hebrew, said in an interview on Israel Radio.
Reached by Reuters, Hamad said the offer was conditional.
"We are ready to launch discussions with factions over stopping rocket firing but only if there is an Israeli commitment to cease all military attacks against all Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank."
Hamad's remarks followed a sharp drop in militant rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this week a senior member of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's party threatened Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas with assassination if the group resumed suicide bombings in Israel.
Israeli officials were not available to comment but the Jewish state regards Hamas as a terrorist organization and along with the United States and the European Union has imposed an economic embargo on the new government.
Hamas is sworn to destroy Israel and has rejected Western demands to recognize it, disarm and accept past peace accords.
Army Radio reported four rockets hit the Israeli town of Sderot, near Gaza, on Thursday. That compares to 30 to 40 rockets launched daily just after Hamas ended its truce.
Medics said two people were lightly wounded in the latest rocket attacks, which were claimed by the Islamic Jihad group.
Hamas broke its ceasefire after seven Palestinians were killed on a Gaza beach in a blast militants said was caused by Israeli shellfire. Israel has said an investigation has shown its forces were not to blame.
The Islamists carried out nearly 60 suicide bombings in Israel after the start of a Palestinian uprising in 2000 but halted such attacks in mid-2004 and had largely abided by a ceasefire reached in early 2005.
POWER STRUGGLE
Hamas took over the government in March after beating President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in elections.
The Islamists and the moderate Abbas have been locked in an increasingly bitter power struggle ever since.
Western powers want Abbas to emerge victorious and have tried to bolster his security forces. Hamas has warned those efforts will worsen tensions.
Olmert has approved a shipment of weapons to Abbas, saying this week he wanted to help the president against Hamas.
Israel's mass circulation Yedioth Ahronoth daily on Thursday reported the Jewish state had transferred 950 M-16 assault rifles from Jordan to Abbas's forces.
"Any Israeli intervention in our internal affairs is rejected because the Israelis aim to sow divisions among the Palestinian people," said senior Hamas lawmaker Mushir al-Masri.
An Abbas aide denied any weapons had been shipped.
Such a move could embarrass Abbas. He has stepped up pressure on Hamas by calling for a referendum on a statehood proposal that implicitly recognizes Israel.
Hamas has labeled the July 26 referendum a coup attempt.
(Additional reporting by Allyn Fisher-Ilan in Jerusalem)
People carry fake Qassams rockets during a protest in Sderot June 13, 2006. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
June 15, 2006
GAZA (Reuters) -The Hamas government wants a ceasefire with Israel and is willing to ask Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets from Gaza into the Jewish state, a spokesman said on Thursday.
But Ghazi Hamad said Israel had to first stop military activity in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Islamic militant group scrapped a 16-month truce with Israel last Friday and soon after launched a barrage of makeshift rockets at the Jewish state from Gaza.
"I spoke today with the prime minister and he said we definitely want quiet everywhere. We are interested in a ceasefire everywhere," Hamad, speaking in Hebrew, said in an interview on Israel Radio.
Reached by Reuters, Hamad said the offer was conditional.
"We are ready to launch discussions with factions over stopping rocket firing but only if there is an Israeli commitment to cease all military attacks against all Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank."
Hamad's remarks followed a sharp drop in militant rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this week a senior member of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's party threatened Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas with assassination if the group resumed suicide bombings in Israel.
Israeli officials were not available to comment but the Jewish state regards Hamas as a terrorist organization and along with the United States and the European Union has imposed an economic embargo on the new government.
Hamas is sworn to destroy Israel and has rejected Western demands to recognize it, disarm and accept past peace accords.
Army Radio reported four rockets hit the Israeli town of Sderot, near Gaza, on Thursday. That compares to 30 to 40 rockets launched daily just after Hamas ended its truce.
Medics said two people were lightly wounded in the latest rocket attacks, which were claimed by the Islamic Jihad group.
Hamas broke its ceasefire after seven Palestinians were killed on a Gaza beach in a blast militants said was caused by Israeli shellfire. Israel has said an investigation has shown its forces were not to blame.
The Islamists carried out nearly 60 suicide bombings in Israel after the start of a Palestinian uprising in 2000 but halted such attacks in mid-2004 and had largely abided by a ceasefire reached in early 2005.
POWER STRUGGLE
Hamas took over the government in March after beating President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in elections.
The Islamists and the moderate Abbas have been locked in an increasingly bitter power struggle ever since.
Western powers want Abbas to emerge victorious and have tried to bolster his security forces. Hamas has warned those efforts will worsen tensions.
Olmert has approved a shipment of weapons to Abbas, saying this week he wanted to help the president against Hamas.
Israel's mass circulation Yedioth Ahronoth daily on Thursday reported the Jewish state had transferred 950 M-16 assault rifles from Jordan to Abbas's forces.
"Any Israeli intervention in our internal affairs is rejected because the Israelis aim to sow divisions among the Palestinian people," said senior Hamas lawmaker Mushir al-Masri.
An Abbas aide denied any weapons had been shipped.
Such a move could embarrass Abbas. He has stepped up pressure on Hamas by calling for a referendum on a statehood proposal that implicitly recognizes Israel.
Hamas has labeled the July 26 referendum a coup attempt.
(Additional reporting by Allyn Fisher-Ilan in Jerusalem)
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 4:17 PM
2 Comments:
Israel wants to deliver the following MYTH to the world : Hamas is elected by a majority of Palestinians and Hamas doesnt want peace since its a terorist organization.
This will give Israel more time and support to go on with all this !
I agree and I hope people will understand you hit the nail on the head. Thank you.
Post a Comment
<< Home