Hamas says truce with Israel soon
BayBak, Azerbaijan | 1560 days ago | Friday, 13th February , 2009 , 03:38 [am] | International
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. | It is unclear who will lead the next Israeli government after the more centrist Kadima party, led by Tzipi Livni, beat the more right-wing Likud led by Benyamin Netanyahu, by just one seat in Israel’s election on Saturday.
The two are trying to line up potential partners to form a governing coalition, and the far-right Yisrael Beitenu party led by Avidgor Lieberman could end up with a big voice in the coalition after it came in third in the election. |
Officials from the Palestinian group Hamas have said that an 18-month ceasefire with Israel will be announced within three days.
The officials, speaking in Egypt on Thursday, said the agreement would ensure the end of violence in Gaza and the opening of the territory’s commercial border crossings.
Moussa Abu Marzouq, the Hamas deputy political leader, told Al Jazeera that “in two, three days, Inshallah [God willing], we are going to announce the calm situation”.
Mahmoud al-Zahar, another senior Hamas official, said the parties were now just waiting for “the technical points – the communication between the Egyptian side with the Israelis in order to address the time … at what time and what date the ceasefire [will] start”.
The apparent breakthrough comes after weeks of negotiations in Cairo between Hamas and Egyptian officials who have been mediating between Israel and Hamas.
Taher al-Nono, a member of the Hamas delegation in Cairo, said “most of the obstacles that prevented us from reaching an agreement were resolved”.
Longer-term deal
The longer-term truce deal would take the place of shaky ceasefires, declared separately by Israel and Hamas last month, that ended Israel’s 22-day military offensive on the Gaza Strip that killed about 1,300 Palestinians.
Fourteen Israelis have been killed since December 27, when Israel launched its offensive.
Once the ceasefire is in place, Hamas told Al Jazeera, all crossing points into the Palestinian territory will be open.
And the group said it would accept Israel continuing to ban the import of so-called “dual use” items which could be used for military purposes, such as some construction material, provided that alternatives could be found.
Hamas has repeatedly sought guarantees that Israel will lift the blockade it has enforced on Gaza since Hamas seized the territory from forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, the Western-backed Palestinian president, in 2007.
No prisoner exchange
Abu Marzouq said the agreement was not linked to any possible prisoner exchange deal with Israel that would see the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian fighters in a cross-border raid in 2006.
“This is a separate issue that has no relation with the truce,” he said. “Gilad Shalit will be [released] in exchange for Palestinian captives.”
Hamas has previously demanded Israel free 1,400 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit.
Abu Marzouq also said Egypt was the main guarantor of the deal.
Egypt, a regional mediator and the only Arab state other than Jordan to have signed a peace deal with Israel, said earlier on Thursday that it would announce “positive” results from the talks in the coming hours.
A deal, if proved true, would help restore Cairo’s regional image after it was criticised in the Arab world for not opening its Rafah border crossing with Gaza and for its limited humanitarian operation during Israel’s offensive.
Israeli officials had no immediate comment on the apparently imminent deal, but Hamas said it believed Israel would implement the ceasefire whichever party ended up heading the new government, because it was in Israel’s best interest, it said.
It is unclear who will lead the next Israeli government after the more centrist Kadima party, led by Tzipi Livni, beat the more right-wing Likud led by Benyamin Netanyahu, by just one seat in Israel’s election on Saturday.
The two are trying to line up potential partners to form a governing coalition, and the far-right Yisrael Beitenu party led by Avidgor Lieberman could end up with a big voice in the coalition after it came in third in the election.
Hamas also confirmed that reconciliation talks with other Palestinian factions, including Fatah, would take place on February 22.
Similar talks in November were postponed when Hamas said it would boycott the event, citing differences with the Fatah faction led by Abbas.aljazeera
, Voice of a Nation[1] Print
- 18/01/2009 Hamas proposes ceasefire in Gaza Strip
- 20/11/2012 Hamas announces truce; Israel claims Gaza talks are ongoing
- 23/12/2007 Hamas Reportedly Drafting Terms of a Truce with Israel
- 22/11/2012 Gaza crisis: Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement holds
- 02/01/2009 Israel to Continue Gaza Attacks Until Hamas Stops Rockets
- 19/01/2009 Hamas leader declares ’victory’ over Israel
- 16/12/2007 At rally, Hamas vows never to recognize Israel
- 30/07/2008 Abbas vows to dismantle PA if Israel frees Hamas prisoners for Shalit
- 20/08/2011 Hamas armed wing ends truce with Israel
- 15/01/2009 Turkey ready for monitoring mission on Gaza
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