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Last update - 18:32 26/01/2009
Egypt to Hamas: Take Gaza truce before Netanyahu is voted PM
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, The Associated Press and Haaretz Service
Tags: Hamas, Egypt, Gaza 

Officials in Egypt are attempting to persuade Hamas to accept Israel's current offer of a cease-fire in Gaza before a far less accommodating government under Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu is elected, the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported Monday.

The newspaper quoted the officials as telling Hamas that polls in Israel show the opposition leader is likely be voted prime minister in February's general election, adding that he would form a coalition with "extremist parties."

They reportedly said that Hamas stands to "lose everything" under these circumstances.
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Hamas' Gaza spokesman Ayman Taha, meanwhile, has said recently that Israel has offered his Palestinian Islamist group a 10-year cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Egypt is also demanding a truce of a number of years' duration. But Taha said the group would agree to a cease-fire of anywhere between one year and no more than 18 months. Another Hamas spokesman, Ismail Radwan, said a long-term cease-fire "kills" the right to resistance by the Palestinians.

Also Monday, the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat reported that Israel has offered Hamas a cease-fire for an unlimited amount of time and the opening of Gaza's borders in return for abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

According to the report, Hamas rejected the offer on the grounds that it linked the opening of the border crossings to Shalit's release.

Shalit was kidnapped by Gaza militants in a 2006 cross-border raid. He is believed to be still held in the Strip.

Hamas and Israeli officials have also indicated that much of the discussion has centered on control of the border crossings in and out of Gaza. Hamas wants the blockade on Gaza lifted. Israel wants assurances that weapons smuggling into the Gaza strip will stop.

"Hamas listened to the Israeli proposal presented by [Defense Ministry official] Amos Gilad, and with it a proposal for a ceasefire for a year and a half, but Hamas presented a counterproposal of one year only," Ayman Taha told reporters in Cairo after talks with Egyptian intelligence officials.

The Hamas delegation met with the heads of Egyptian intelligence on Sunday who transmitted to them Israel's positions. Jerusalem has not yet clarified what stance it had presented.

Meanwhile, Taha reiterated the group's calls for a lifting of the blockade imposed on the impoverished and devastated Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt as a condition for the truce. "[Hamas] called for a complete lifting of the blockade and an opening of all the crossings," Taha said.

Hamas proposed to Egyptian mediators that European and Turkish monitors be present at the border crossings, but rejected the presence of Israeli monitors, saying Israeli monitoring was "a large part of the problem," according to Taha.

Asked if Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' forces would be present at the crossings, Taha said: "Hamas is the existing government in Gaza."

Hamas wrested control of the Gaza Strip from Abbas's Fatah faction in fighting in 2007. Egypt has ruled out opening the Rafah crossing in the absence of the Palestinian Authority and European Union observers.

Commenting on the talks, Hamas's representative in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, told Al Jazeera satellite television on Sunday that Hamas was unwilling to alter its positions to Israel's benefit.

"The Israelis must understand that they will not achieve through politics what they failed to do militarily," Hamdan said.

Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip in late December with the declared aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks on its southern communities. About 1,300 Palestinians, at least 700 of them civilians, were killed during the 22-day offensive, while Israel put its death toll at 10 soldiers and three civilians.

Hamas: No reconciliation with Fatah until it ends Israel peace talks

Hamas official Hamdan also said Sunday that Fatah movement must end peace negotiations with Israel before any reconciliation talks can take place.

The remarks were bound to complicate Arab efforts to reconcile Hamas, which controls Gaza, and the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Speaking at a rally in Beirut Sunday, Hamdan - a close ally of Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal - said that the group welcomed Palestinian dialogue, but any reconciliation should be based on a resistance program to liberate territory and regain rights.

He also demanded that the PA end security coordination with Israel, and maintained that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process had ended.

"Those who committed mistakes must correct their mistakes through a clear and frank declaration to stop security coordination with the [Israeli] occupation, release [Hamas] prisoners and later end negotiations [with Israel] because the peace process is irreversibly over," said Hamdan.

"It's time for us to talk about a reconciliation based on a resistance program to liberate the [occupied] territory and regain rights," he added.

Asharq Al-Awsat also reported Saturday that Hamas had suggested representatives of the Palestinian Authority be stationed at the Rafah crossing, but that they be residents of Gaza, not the West Bank.

Israel has been allowing some supply convoys into Gaza, though its borders remain largely closed. The Israel Defense Forces says more than 125 trucks a day - on some days nearly 200 - have entered Gaza since fighting ended on January 17th, but aid workers say the numbers are not enough.

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      1.   you never cease to marvel about peace-loving Hamas - 01:28  |  ivo 26/01/09
      2.   Egypt demanding.... 01:40  |  puke 26/01/09
      3.   Hamas Setting Terms 01:54  |  Ron 26/01/09
      4.   same rules like the last truce? 01:59  |  vik 26/01/09
      5.   #1/ & #3 Its not rocket science... 02:08  |  lebron 26/01/09
      6.   #2 Puke, So are you Implying... 02:12  |  Noach 26/01/09
      7.   how about this BSNEWS,you hamas heros will never make peace with 02:31  |  terrornator 26/01/09
      8.   Resistance 02:34  |  hanoi 26/01/09
      9.   Why is Israel even negociating? 04:17  |  Maurice 26/01/09
      10.   Israel doesn`t need peace with gaza. It can just keep...... 04:27  |  bernard ross 26/01/09
      11.   Say Arabs , Don`t Say Palestinians 05:46  |  Joseph.E 26/01/09
      12.   ISMAIL RADWAN AND KILLING RESISTANCE 06:02  |  Brant 26/01/09
      13.   Hamas should be totally destroyd 07:14  |  Jean Van Daem 26/01/09
      14.   #5 lebron: rocket science 08:36  |  Joe W 26/01/09
      15.   Same deal offered by Hamas as before the Gaza War 09:08  |  Clickfool 26/01/09
      16.   one yea truce? then what? 10:19  |  hacob 26/01/09
      17.   H@@retz what are you going to do when the number of Dead 10:22  |  Gil 26/01/09
      18.   hamas, limited truce 10:47  |  John 26/01/09
      19.   Hamas talking on peace 10:54  |  Elina 26/01/09
      20.   They`re waiting for us to offer to disband in return for Shalit 10:57  |  x-ray 26/01/09
      21.   H@@retz what are you going to do when 10:59  |  Gil 26/01/09
      22.   The failure of the military option - what next? 11:01  |  Manny Goldstein 26/01/09
      23.   Hamas being Hamas 11:09  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/01/09
      24.   No publication of stolen aid? 11:14  |  David 26/01/09
      25.   That said, George W.Bush is no longer President 11:28  |  Clickfool 26/01/09
      26.   You`re so vain, I bet you think this war is about you 11:29  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/01/09
      27.   How long is the truce 11:35  |  Palestinian 26/01/09
      28.   Netanyahu is better than Olmert-Levni and Barak 11:45  |  Palestinan 26/01/09
      29.   Complete denial speaks for itself 11:58  |  allang 26/01/09
      30.   "A far less accommodating governement...." 12:05  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/01/09
      31.   Comedians 12:20  |  Lola 26/01/09
      32.   palestinian 13:08  |  danny 26/01/09
      33.   Gaza Truce 13:16  |  Myer 26/01/09
      34.   Palestinian 13:29  |  Jozef 26/01/09
      35.   Israel being Israel 13:32  |  Roo 26/01/09
      36.   Europeans obsessed by macho considerations 13:39  |  Israeli citizen 26/01/09
      37.   to # 22 13:54  |  noam 26/01/09
      38.   Palestian ask peace not truce 14:12  |  Aby 26/01/09
      39.   To Palestinian: The Lamb and the Lion? 14:15  |  Tzfonit 26/01/09
      40.   Gil -those figures are entirely unsubstantiated 14:15  |  remi 26/01/09
      41.   Israel being Israel 14:16  |  Roo 26/01/09
      42.   HAMAS SHOULD GRAB THE 10 14:16  |  Robert 26/01/09
      43.   #25 Swiss...we know who won 14:23  |  Lynn 26/01/09
      44.   Ceasefire/truce or Gaza blockade? 14:26  |  Manny Goldstein 26/01/09
      45.   #22 Palestinian....well, no one can say 14:27  |  Lynn 26/01/09
      46.   Honor 14:32  |  Bazmann 26/01/09
      47.   The Egyptians Are Treatening Hamas With Netanyahu? 14:38  |  Jeff Northridge 26/01/09
      48.   Great PR for Likud! 14:40  |  Kenny 26/01/09
      49.   For Roo, on Abbas the unelected Dictator # 28 14:44  |  Clickfool 26/01/09
      50.   Egypt just does not get it 14:59  |  Mark Lincoln 26/01/09
      51.   To #17: Israeli supporter Manny Goldstein 15:00  |  Bob 26/01/09
      52.   Don`t worry Hamas 15:30  |  judith 26/01/09
      53.   To Clickfool # 38: please help 15:45  |  Bob 26/01/09
      54.   Swiss (Dino) 15:56  |  David Israel 26/01/09
      55.   Cipora # 18 Right on! 16:13  |  Petra 26/01/09
      56.   Hamas is dead 16:16  |  Petra 26/01/09
      57.   Swiss Dino 25 - you really have no clue 16:19  |  ChanahS 26/01/09
      58.   # 39 Lynn / 50 David Israel / # 53 Chanah S 16:45  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/01/09
      59.   Mark Lincoln good point 17:20  |  Danite 26/01/09
      60.   To: Palestinian 17:48  |  Angel 26/01/09
      61.   #36 Tzfonit 18:01  |  Palestinian 26/01/09
      62.   Is Hamas supposed to be afraid of Netanyahu? 18:01  |  Natallie Durson 26/01/09
      63.   To Angel- Go get the truth 18:03  |  Mike USA 26/01/09
      64.   Negotiations on a cease-fire 18:04  |  A Palestinian 26/01/09
      65.   #51 Bob 18:50  |  BDS 26/01/09
      66.   Is Egypt afraid of BiBi? Strong Fists = Strong Results 18:50  |  dp 26/01/09
      67.   Problem is Hamas is too stupid to see the future under Likud 19:02  |  Shepherd 26/01/09
      68.   ChannahS 19:12  |  Guido 26/01/09
      69.   #58 Swiss(Dino), you said Hamas offered a 10 year truce... 19:33  |  JP 26/01/09
      70.   by occupied territory.... 19:33  |  ejf 26/01/09
      71.   One huge falicy in this article 19:39  |  Bryce 26/01/09
      72.   Swiss 58 19:40  |  ChanahS 26/01/09
      73.   Egypt, Netanyahu, Hamas and Ms Durson`s comment 19:53  |  Israeli citizen 26/01/09
      74.   Response To #60 To: Palestians 20:07  |  GB 26/01/09
      75.   Deterrence is essential 20:27  |  Brod 26/01/09
      76.   49 the FOOL in his post to another unknown coward admits.. 20:39  |  Ari ben Yisrael 26/01/09
      77.   #25 Clicky...it doesn`t look as if Mitchell will 20:54  |  Lynn 26/01/09
      78.   Swiss (Dino) I favor peace not Hudna -2nd try 21:04  |  David Israel 26/01/09
      79.   #58 Swiss.... what has changed? 21:05  |  Lynn 26/01/09
      80.   Netanyahu 21:13  |  Paul 26/01/09
      81.   #15 What is there to gain? 22:24  |  DesMnsDave 26/01/09
      82.   #35 If you don`t make sewer pipes into rockets ... 22:29  |  DesMnsDave 26/01/09
      83.   #11, JosephE, we`ll call you an Israelite... 22:29  |  Silvienne 26/01/09
      84.   Dino, David Israel & ChanahS: you`re missing a fine distinction - 22:41  |  ivo 26/01/09
      85.   REARMING 23:23  |  LB 26/01/09
      86.   Bibi deterrence is already in evidence .. 23:25  |  redbourn 26/01/09
      87.   re 20 Middle east time 23:26  |  alan the real one 26/01/09
      88.   To: GB 01:00  |  Angel 27/01/09
      89.   Bryce - elected but want to eliminate israel 2nd try 01:00  |  David Israel 27/01/09
      90.   Clickfool 49- Hamas blamed for war (1) 01:19  |  ChanahS 27/01/09
      91.   #79 Lynn 01:51  |  joan 27/01/09
      92.   Swiss. Lynn`s fantasy. 01:53  |  Roo 27/01/09
      93.   7 Year Treaty 02:29  |  CWarn 27/01/09
      94.   even our enemies understand that BIBI is better for israel 02:45  |  chaim 27/01/09
      95.   Netanyahu has as much chance at being elected as Obama. 02:57  |  Murray of Montreal 27/01/09
      96.   #Gil living Haifa. Do us all a favor mate... 03:10  |  Maureen Ann 27/01/09
      97.   #77 Lynn. U.S.A. will be talking to Iran. 03:20  |  Maureen Ann 27/01/09
      98.   Joan - it is you 03:30  |  ChanahS 27/01/09
      99.   To Palestinian #61: convincing your cat as you are non-convicable 03:46  |  Bob 27/01/09
      100.   Netanyahu ! Is he the silver bullet ? 04:19  |  Akram Zekaria 27/01/09
      101.   ChanahS, why not actually read Haaretz? 05:41  |  BBSNews 27/01/09
      102.   #87 Roo...where were the brave Hezbollah? 06:14  |  Lynn 27/01/09
      103.   BSNews - please don`t be so 07:25  |  ChanahS 27/01/09
      104.   BSNews - interesting 07:27  |  ChanahS 27/01/09
      105.   PALESTINIAN Re how long is the truce? As long as it takes you 08:29  |  PETER SM 27/01/09
      106.   MAUREEN do us a favor love,ask Hamas why they chose to fight 08:48  |  PETER SM 27/01/09
      107.   let netanyahu come, and then what 09:57  |  qofaras 27/01/09
      108.   Lynn-naivete gets you again 13:23  |  Roo 27/01/09
      109.   YEAH SURE 14:01  |  Gaby Haloma`amin 27/01/09
      110.   BBSNews...this I believe... 19:32  |  Silvienne 27/01/09
      111.   Nataneyahoo as Egypt`s protege? 21:50  |  Miron 28/01/09
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