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Israeli Arab women holding photographs during a demonstration against Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip in Nazareth earlier this month. (Reuters)
Last update - 19:03 22/02/2008
Hamas: We won't rule out any bid for cease-fire with Israel
By News Agencies and Haaretz Service
Tags: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel

A Hamas spokesman praised on Friday a decision by European Union lawmakers in Strasbourg, France on Thursday calling on Israel to end the blockade and open Gaza's border crossings.

"We in Hamas are highly appreciative of the initiative and the call made by the EU parliament to end the siege imposed on Gaza," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. "We consider this an important development in the European attitude."

Zuhri also said that Hamas will not rule out any initiative to put an end to its armed conflict with Israel, Army Radio reported.
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The European Parliament, which has no executive powers, said in an adopted resolution that "the policy of isolation of the Gaza strip has failed at both the political and humanitarian level."

"The civilian population should be exempt from any military action and any collective punishment," it added.

Israeli air strikes and ground incursions into the Gaza Strip have killed some 300 Palestinians in the past year, including dozens of civilians, but have failed to prevent rocket fire, which killed two Israelis in the same period.

"The European Parliament calls on Israel to cease military actions killing and endangering civilians, and extrajudicial targeted killings," the resolution said.

The lawmakers also urged the Gaza Strip's rulers Hamas to prevent the firing of rockets into Israel.

They called on the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, to launch a dialogue with Hamas, which is on the EU's list of terrorist organizations.

Israel rejected the EU call on Friday.

"As far as we're concerned the ball is in the hands of the Palestinians and in the hands of Hamas," Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel said. "If they stop the rocket fire at Israeli towns we will stop our steps, which are meant to halt the daily rocket fire."

Olmert is set to meet with during a visit there next week, and talks will center on American concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the daily Haaretz reported Friday.

Regev, Olmert's spokesman, would say only that the visits to Japan by Rice and Olmert will overlap and that it is possible the two could meet
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  1.   Israel Will Never Agreee To A Cease Fire 15:58  |  Yaakov Sullivan 22/02/08
  2.   Israel has always rejected ALL Hamas cease-fire proposals... 16:03  |  POP 22/02/08
  3.   Nazis not so disguised 16:04  |  Mike 22/02/08
  4.   Kassams on Civilians is OK ??? 16:16  |  Jacob 22/02/08
  5.   #1 and #2...ignoring the facts again! 16:19  |  DR 22/02/08
  6.   EU "Law-makers" in Strasbourg ?? 16:29  |  Franck 22/02/08
  7.   Saving face for Hamas 16:35  |  JS 22/02/08
  8.   #1 Yaakov Sullivan, Satmar Agent, Pop too 16:36  |  Robert/Montreal 22/02/08
  9.   To Mike om "moral fibre" 16:45  |  Mark B. 22/02/08
  10.   A Need For Dialogue 16:46  |  Chisda 22/02/08
  11.   #1 Skullivan: why the hell should they? 16:50  |  Ben 22/02/08
  12.   Hamas: We won`t rule out any bid for cease-fire 17:00  |  IT guy 22/02/08
  13.   Haaretz NO parlament has EXECUTIVE power but 17:18  |  Kris 22/02/08
  14.   Civilian population? 17:23  |  Don Bishop 22/02/08
  15.   European stereotypes 17:23  |  natan 22/02/08
  16.   HAARETZ - WITH SUCH A HEADLINE - YOU ARE MADMEN!! 17:24  |  John the Priest 22/02/08
  17.   Germany and France won`t follow EU lead 17:36  |  B (The other one) 22/02/08
  18.   good development,the ball is in israel`s court! 17:45  |  lakshmi 22/02/08
  19.   Prevent Hamas from firing rockets 17:51  |  MR 22/02/08
  20.   the european call - a reward for hamas` attacks 17:55  |  scallywag 22/02/08
  21.   Lakshmi_ Answer The Questions By Amitabh!!! 18:03  |  Eli 22/02/08
  22.   just say `no` to jihad 18:09  |  alan 22/02/08
  23.   Lakshmi, Sullivan - no one to have a ceasefire with 18:10  |  William 22/02/08
  24.   #1 Yaakov 18:44  |  Moshe 22/02/08
  25.   @4, kris of austria will teach jews democracy. 18:57  |  vladimir 22/02/08
  26.   It`s about time that Israel and hamas sit down 19:03  |  Becky 22/02/08
  27.   Too bad Israel doesn`t want peace 19:09  |  peacelover 22/02/08
  28.   what a joke hamas is - unreal 19:20  |  waste of sand 22/02/08
  29.   Bricks and Stones May Break my Bones But Names will Never Hurt me 19:22  |  Gil 22/02/08
  30.   Bricks and Stones May Break my Bones But Names will Never Hurt me 19:22  |  Gil 22/02/08
  31.   Hamas hudnas are worthless 19:29  |  Stephen in New York 22/02/08
  32.   Israeli Express-nonstop to self-destruct 19:31  |  Moshe 22/02/08
  33.   the european call - a reward for hamas` attacks, 2. try 19:46  |  scallywag 22/02/08
  34.   15 - FUNNY STUFF - TO BAD ITS TRUE 19:46  |  goldenseal 22/02/08
  35.   What? another hudna?Hudna = give us time to rearm&consolidate. 19:57  |  Abdul 22/02/08
  36.   Aid for weapons 20:01  |  real vision 22/02/08
  37.   cease-fire??? puhleeze 20:15  |  peter 22/02/08
  38.   This is why Isreal refuses pal ceasfire 20:29  |  Adrian de Klerk 22/02/08
  39.   Hamas & the Europeans 20:35  |  David 22/02/08
  40.   Iakshmi # 8 Israel Returned The Ball Today 20:44  |  Jeff Northridge 22/02/08
  41.   The rockets on Israeli territory cannot be tolerated. 20:48  |  Jean Van Daem 22/02/08
  42.   Attacks on gazan terrroists are working-Hamas ready to surrender! 21:09  |  Voice of Reason 22/02/08
  43.   Europeans supporting Jews? 21:32  |  Alan the real one 22/02/08
  44.   Grab this Opportunity and build on it. 21:51  |  Abu Ali 22/02/08
  45.   Israel is unable to grasp that Hamas..... 22:22  |  Deborah 22/02/08
  46.   to Mark B, humiliated and terrorized? 22:23  |  jj 22/02/08
  47.   Hamas the blockade stays, screw the EU & UN 22:24  |  Dish It Out 22/02/08
  48.   #7 JS your idea is nice but Hamas is a terrorist group 22:26  |  Dish It Out 22/02/08
  49.   to Mark B 2 22:30  |  jj 22/02/08
  50.   To #1 & #2 23:08  |  leo 22/02/08
  51.   #44, liar, Hamas explicitly said they will never recognize Israel 00:03  |  McQueen 23/02/08
  52.   Hamas made it clear that the "ceasefire" would have to include WB 00:04  |  McQueen 23/02/08
  53.   Deborah is unable to grasp.... 00:15  |  peter 23/02/08
  54.   Why should they `rule out" anything? 02:46  |  Mark Lincoln 23/02/08
  55.   Free the world from dependancy on oil 02:48  |  Steve-O 23/02/08
  56.   How to turn the tables 02:48  |  Mark Lincoln 23/02/08
  57.   Mark Lincoln, you forget one thing 02:59  |  Ibrahim 23/02/08
  58.   40 Howdy jeff Northridge,israel is playing with fire! 03:24  |  lakshmi 23/02/08
  59.   It was criminal for the EU to jump on the Israeli bandwagon 04:10  |  Dutch 23/02/08
  60.   EU looses any legimacy to broker Israeli-Arab Conflict . 04:11  |  Joseph E . Post 3 23/02/08
  61.   In Public with Biding Declarations Arabs Must Surrender To Jews 04:17  |  Joseph . E 23/02/08
  62.   57 Ibrahim,I agree with you and would like to quote Hannah Arendt 04:34  |  lakshmi 23/02/08
  63.   NICE Declaration but....... 05:21  |  The Archives 23/02/08
  64.   Ibrahim - Only an idiot loses to prove he is strong 06:46  |  Mark Lincoln 23/02/08
  65.   Israel says, "Submit or else!" 07:16  |  Esther 23/02/08
  66.   Hamas are fools 09:19  |  flimflam 23/02/08
  67.   Hamas Must Be Tried For War Crimes and Genocide Against The 09:20  |  Eli 23/02/08
  68.   Lakshmi and an eye for a thousand eyes # 62 09:31  |  Dick Hertz 23/02/08
  69.   # 65 Esther / USA 11:14  |  Joseph E . post 1 23/02/08
  70.   # 65 Esther / USA 11:15  |  Joseph E . post 2 23/02/08
  71.   # 65 Esther / USA 12:05  |  Joseph E . post 1