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Hamas men protesting at the Rafah crossing. (Reuters)
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Last update - 18:39 30/09/2007
Hamas renews call for cease-fire with Israel
By News Agencies

Hamas called on Sunday for a cease-fire with Israel, a possible indication of the effects of the growing pressure the Islamic group faces after months of isolation in the Gaza Strip.

"Gaza's Hamas government is ready to offer a truce at this time," Mohammed Awad, a senior Hamas official, told a Gaza Web site affiliated with the Islamic group. Awad's office confirmed he had made the statement, which echoed similar calls by Hamas in recent months.

An Israeli government spokesman dismissed Awad's statement as a ploy.

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Also Sunday, two Qassam rockets fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip struck the western Negev, causing no damage or injuries.

Gaza has been cut off from the rest of the world since Hamas violently seized control over the coastal strip in June. Awad said the truce would only be possible if it "helped to achieve some goals for our people" - likely meaning moves to open sealed border crossings into Israel and Egypt, relieve international economic sanctions and halt Israeli army operations against Palestinian rocket squads.

The Arabic word Awad used, hudna, denotes a temporary cease-fire rather than a permanent peace. Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist and is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S. and EU.

Spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office David Baker accused Hamas of trying to buy time.

"We've seen Hamas and other terror organizations use these calls for a cease-fire as a mere ploy in order to allow them to rearm, regroup and reorganize," Baker said. "Israel will continue to take the necessary steps to defend its citizens and will not sit idly by while these terrorist organizations continue to actively plan and eventually perpetrate terror attacks against us."

Palestinian militants launch rockets almost daily at Israeli towns from Gaza, and Hamas has done nothing to halt the fire. Israel's military raids and airstrikes have failed to halt the projectiles.

In mid-September, the Israeli government declared Gaza a hostile territory in an effort to ratchet up pressure to stop the rockets. The classification set the stage for a possible cutoff of electricity to the impoverished territory of 1.4 million people, but no such cutoff has been carried out.

Also Sunday, scores of Palestinian militants who had been stranded in Egypt since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip were allowed back into the territory, witnesses said, signaling possible new accommodation between Cairo and the Islamist group.

Egypt, the architect of Arab rapprochement with Israel, has straddled a diplomatic fence with Hamas, neither shunning it nor accepting its violent removal of Western-backed Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction from the Gaza Strip.

But in what Hamas sources described as a deal between Hamas and Egypt, around 85 militants crossed into Gaza overnight through Rafah, a terminal on the Egyptian border which had been closed for three months after Abbas' monitors were chased out.

Egypt's Interior Ministry confirmed that they had agreed with Hamas to transport the people across the border. It gave no explanation.

Israel, which opposed the return of some of the Palestinians, said it was unaware of an Egypt-Hamas agreement. Egypt told Israel that about 28 Palestinians, including senior Hamas figures, broke through the Egypt-Gaza fence, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said.

But the crossing appeared to be organized with Egyptian cooperation, witnesses said.

The Palestinians were transported to the Egyptian side of the border in Egyptian buses, allowed across by Hamas security and then met at a Hamas security in included a prominent Hamas lawmaker, Mushir al-Masri, and Hamas loyalists sent for training in Muslim countries before the militant Islamic group's Gaza takeover, witnesses said. They did not speak to journalists at the scene.

During the crossing, Hamas security officials tried to keep the operation a secret, confiscating film from photographers and cameramen alerted to the scene.

The militants, whom witnesses and Hamas sources said included senior Hamas figures, had refused to avail themselves of an alternative return route to Gaza that runs through neighboring Israel for fear of being arrested by the Israelis.

Hamas sources said that the Popular Resistance Committees, a Gaza-based militant group, took part in talks with Egypt on temporarily reopening Rafah.

Palestinian diplomats in Cairo estimate that 2,000 Palestinians remain stranded in Egypt, including university students, people who had sought medical care abroad, and people who had been visiting relatives at the time of the Gaza takeover.
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  1.   HAHA! CAIRO 04:37  |  Paul 30/09/07
  2.   Egypt allowed AlQaeda Muslim brother hood Hezb ollah return to Ga 06:30  |  e.m 30/09/07
  3.   WHY DIDN`T ISRAEL NAPALM THEM? 08:05  |  akiva (zionist) 30/09/07
  4.   Egypt allowed AlQaeda Muslim brother hood Hezb ollah return to Ga 08:07  |  e.m 30/09/07
  5.   Typical Egyptian 08:45  |  gahgeer 30/09/07
  6.   Egypt allowed AlQaeda Muslim brother hood Hezb ollah return to Ga 09:19  |  e.m 30/09/07
  7.   Rafiah crossing back in business 10:57  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/09/07
  8.   I agree with Akiva #2 10:57  |  Yerushalmi 30/09/07
  9.   Militant = Palestinian 11:57  |  Natallie Durson 30/09/07
  10.   Gaza 13:29  |  Joseph (Lebanese) 30/09/07
  11.   shameful 14:54  |  Salaam 30/09/07
  12.   So whats your point salaam? 15:12  |  cc 30/09/07
  13.   Egypt renewed ties with Iran; the outcome is this. 15:14  |  Fortuna Benmayor 30/09/07
  14.   Salaam 15:17  |  notblackorwhite 30/09/07
  15.   Natallie 15:34  |  Nam Nut 30/09/07
  16.   #9 Natalie Durson 15:38  |  Once again 30/09/07
  17.   Salami 15:41  |  Sabra 30/09/07
  18.   Natallie Durson #9 16:05  |  Nechama 30/09/07
  19.   The siege is an international crime! 16:14  |  lakshmi 30/09/07
  20.   Dropped on my head. 16:17  |  Natallie Durson 30/09/07
  21.   Salaam of Palestine 16:18  |  Lynn 30/09/07
  22.   don`t miss the opportunity 16:27  |  Aaron 30/09/07
  23.   Peace=Hamas invaders go back 2 Arab states 16:31  |  sam 30/09/07
  24.   Hamas would never call a cease fire unless 16:50  |  Kipperraes 30/09/07
  25.   #19 Lakshmi your post is delusional 16:54  |  Kipperraes 30/09/07
  26.   #19 Lakshmi your post is delusional 16:54  |  Kipperraes 30/09/07
  27.   lakshmi # 19 16:55  |  ChanahS 30/09/07
  28.   The Arab Craving for Empty Gestures 16:56  |  Frank Littlehammer 30/09/07
  29.   #22 Aaron - Chicago 17:14  |  * BEN JABO 30/09/07
  30.   lakshmi 17:15  |  jeff 30/09/07
  31.   Now I understand why the Egyptians.... 17:18  |  ottomatik 30/09/07
  32.   #19 lakshmi hails the WHITE FLAG as supreme VICTORY 17:26  |  CK Tan 30/09/07
  33.   Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 2000 times, shame on me. 17:34  |  Michael 30/09/07
  34.   We condemn qassams 18:08  |  Outsider 30/09/07
  35.   #9 18:18  |  Jeff 30/09/07
  36.   Nam Nut`s brother 18:29  |  Omran 30/09/07
  37.   Nechama and tank shells with kisses from Israeli children 18:33  |  Omran 30/09/07
  38.   White flags 18:38  |  Omran 30/09/07
  39.   An international crime? 18:40  |  Ariel 30/09/07
  40.   Calling a hudna? 18:55  |  KUTW 30/09/07
  41.   Hamas offer 18:58  |  KUTW 30/09/07
  42.   Say NO to Hudnah and YES to Sulha 19:14  |  Eli 30/09/07
  43.   To Outsider # 34 - Hamas calls for Ceasefire with Israel.... 19:30  |  Pathfinder 30/09/07
  44.   To Natallie Durson # 9 - A Militant in Israel`s eyes..... 19:37  |  Dagma 30/09/07
  45.   Sundayitis? Mods are not on their toes today 19:45  |  Dagma 30/09/07
  46.   Empathyzing with all Gaza 20:10  |  True Moral 30/09/07
  47.   Calling For A Ceasfire. They Act As If They Are 20:22  |  Eli 30/09/07
  48.   11. Salaam: Shameful 20:25  |  KUTW 30/09/07
  49.   Lakshmi siege 20:38  |  Mark T 30/09/07
  50.   11 Saalam&27 chanah S.the only solution is for israel to accept 20:39  |  lakshmi 30/09/07
  51.   Its clear to me that Gazans want peace. 20:41  |  Richard S 30/09/07
  52.   Lakshmi, you think infidels are really stupid, don`t you? 21:00  |  martyrmaker 30/09/07
  53.   Messiah 21:04  |  Paul 30/09/07
  54.   Gaza is Egyptian 21:05  |  Paul 30/09/07
  55.   # 46 True Moral 21:06  |  Lynn 30/09/07
  56.   In reallity 21:10  |  Paul 30/09/07
  57.   lakshmi, you truly are one of a kind 21:10  |  Lynn 30/09/07
  58.   Joseph # 10 21:13  |  Lynn 30/09/07
  59.   Natalie = clueless 21:13  |  Avi 30/09/07
  60.   Harm-us (hamas) 21:21  |  dav zee 30/09/07
  61.   Cease-Fire? Idiots 21:21  |  Jo 30/09/07
  62.   # 48 Industrial infrasructure? Lakshmi 21:26  |  Lynn 30/09/07
  63.   Hamas` protection of Pal people 21:27  |  William 30/09/07
  64.   reponse to lakshmi 21:31  |  jo 30/09/07
  65.   Direct Talks First 21:33  |  Double Click 30/09/07
  66.   Amazing 21:33  |  JG 30/09/07
  67.   Lakshmi fantasizes #48 21:37  |  Mark T 30/09/07
  68.   Omran#37 - can you really compare a settlement with all of Gaza? 21:38  |  William 30/09/07
  69.   Palestinian Refugee: Prepare for Nationhood 21:40  |  Reader 30/09/07
  70.   Lakshi 48 #2 21:41  |  mARK t 30/09/07
  71.   Omran on mercy#38 21:41  |  William 30/09/07
  72.   Lakshmi#50 - you`re stories become more outraegous 21:48  |  William 30/09/07
  73.   Jo#64 - return won land 21:51  |  William 30/09/07
  74.   Omran # 37 22:07  |  ChanahS 30/09/07
  75.   To True Moral # 46 Re `Corrupting Influence....f 22:07  |  Dagma 30/09/07
  76.   Omran # 38 22:08  |  ChanahS 30/09/07
  77.   Lakshmi` silliness again # 50 22:17  |  ChanahS 30/09/07
  78.   Lakshmi # 50 - the other amazing thing 22:19  |  ChanahS 30/09/07
  79.   Salaam wolf in sheeps clothing 22:37  |  Free The World 30/09/07
  80.