After 19 days of Operation Cast Lead, Hamas leaders in Gaza have announced they are willing to accept the Egyptian ceasefire initiative, signaling a change from the terror regime’s earlier position. In the meantime, reports emerging from the Prime Minister’s Office indicate Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is maintaining his hard-line position, opposing Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, both of whom favor a cessation in the IDF operation immediately.
Olmert feels that true lasting ceasefire with Hamas may only result if it is accomplished from a point of Israeli strength, after Hamas is crushed and realizes it no longer has other alternatives.
Senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad is traveling to Cairo on Thursday to receive a first-hand report regarding Hamas’ position on ceasefire efforts.
A number of senior Hamas officials on Wednesday convened a press conference in Cairo, explaining that they are now willing to accept the Egyptian plan with a number of modifications. According to a report appearing in the London-based Arabic al-Shark al-Awsat newspaper, the message delivered from a senior Hamas official following meetings in Damascus signals the terror regime in Gaza is willing to accept the plan with a number of stipulations, including an immediate one-week ceasefire during which time there will be a total withdrawal of all IDF forces from Gaza following which a long-lasting ceasefire agreement will be achieved.
In the meantime, by most accounts, Israel continues fighting the clock, aware of the mounting international pressure, including the arrival of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the region on Wednesday, who is visiting a number of countries towards actualizing a ceasefire.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during recent day has been in contact with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), calling on Egypt to compel Hamas to disarm and on Jerusalem to adhere to the UN ceasefire resolution.
Foreign Ministry officials in Jerusalem are monitoring the situation and are well-aware of the mounting pressure which will most likely lead to major decisions in the coming days.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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7 Responses
I do not think Israel can believe Hamas as far as Shalom between the two nations. How can Israel believe a nation that would sacrifice and use their own children as human shields shocking and barbaric. Hamas=toldos amalek
They should NOT agree to a ceasefire!! Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni have no idea what they’re doing (and believe in a two-state solution). If they stop, Hamas will just regroup, and at some point, even if not right away, just continue their barrage of rockets and who knows what else. Maybe by then Iran will have supplied them with rockets that go even further. Now is Israel’s chance. Keep fighting until Hamas is destroyed, or at least severely damaged. It’s time to ignore world opinion for once and take care of your citizens. If they don’t take care of this now, and G-d forbid Hamas starts a new rocket launch marathon, there’s no way Israel will be able to carry out a second invasion like the one they’re in the midst of now. Keep going, Israel, it’s your one chance. Don’t blow it. (No pun intended.)
15 rockets morning of jan.15! is this what the world calls a – ceasefire?!!!
There should be no ceasefire without Shalit! Another point to consider is that why don’t we put pressure on the US to free Jonathan Pollard. Why should we give in to their pressure before they listen to our pressure. Them keeping him in prison is a 1000 times more unfair than what is happening in Gaza, besides that the US are pro our activities in Gaza!!
This weeks Parsha is Shmos… remember.
Va’Yokom Melech Chadash al Mitzrayim asher lo yoda es Yosef.
Beware of the wolf in sheeps clothing.
I don’t understand. On CBS radio yesterday Hamas defined their terms for ceasefire – IIRC, two years was too long, they want open borders and the ability to arm…isn’t it obvious that Hamas is an existential threat to Israel?
And about the disproportionate death numbers: Israel has used their resources for better medical care, they don’t shoot patients randomly, and major cities have been evacuated.
I know, preaching to the choir here but for the benefit of someone who stumbled on this site by mistake, spread the word!
Do not stop until all Arabs are out of Eretz Yisroel!