Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., March 14, 2008 Adar2 8, 5768 | | Israel Time: 04:36 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
IDF troops examine their rifles after returning from an incursion into the Gaza Strip last week. (Tomer Appelbaum)
Last update - 07:18 11/03/2008
Abbas: Israel has agreed to cease-fire with Hamas
By Barak Ravid and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies
Tags: IDF, Qassams, Gaza Strip 

Even as Israel's leadership denied that a deal was reached with Hamas on a cease-fire, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas insisted Monday that such an agreement was reached, through Egyptian mediation.

And Hamas, for its part, claimed that the drop in the violence stemmed from Israel's realization that its offensive in the Gaza Strip had failed.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak both rejected any suggestion that a cease-fire agreement had been reached with Hamas. They were responding to Monday's Haaretz report stating that the Israel Defense Forces had been ordered to restrain itself in Gaza pursuant to an unofficial agreement with Hamas.
Advertisement

Whatever the reason, the calm continued for a fourth straight day Monday, with no Qassam rockets being fired at Israeli communities from Gaza and no IDF attacks on targets in the Hamas-controlled territory.

Olmert insisted that no negotiations are being conducted with Hamas, either directly or indirectly. Speaking to reporters at the end of a meeting in Jerusalem with visiting Czech President Mirek Toplolanek, he said: "There is no cease-fire agreement; there are no negotiations, direct or indirect."

Barak, who spoke during a visit to the IDF base at Tel Hashomer, said that "at this moment, there is no agreement with Hamas for calm on the ground. When we want to act in Gaza, we shall. When terrorism and arms smuggling into the Strip stop, then we will consider the path toward calm. We are committed to restoring calm to the area and we shall, even if it takes time - and it will involve effort."

However, Barak also spoke of the benefits of calm along the border with Gaza. "If there is school in Ashkelon today without Grad [missiles], and students are in school in Sderot and at Sapir College without Qassams, I suggest that we do not complain about a quiet day."

In contrast to Olmert and Barak, Abbas said Monday that there is a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

In an interview with the satellite television station Al-Arabiya, Abbas said that Hamas had asked for immunity from Israeli assassination attempts on its leaders and those of Islamic Jihad, "and I think Israel agreed, or will agree soon."

He said that details of the deal will emerge in the coming days.

Separately, speaking to reporters after talks with King Abdullah II in Jordan, Abbas added that the deal was reached through Egyptian mediation.

"I believe an agreement has been reached in principle" on a cease-fire, Abbas said. "Hamas will stop firing rockets on Israel, and in return, Israel will halt attacks on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank."

He also said that the deal provided for "easing the siege on the Gaza Strip and the reopening of crossing points" into the Hamas-controlled territory.

"Hamas has demanded that its leaders and those of Islamic Jihad be protected against Israeli attacks, and I believe the Israelis have agreed," he added.

Responding to a question about the feasibility of resuming negotiations with Israel at a time when Olmert has approved the building of 750 new housing units in a settlement near Jerusalem - one that Israel wants to keep under any deal - Abbas said: "We consider all settlements as illegal."

"We are going to tell the Israelis that all settlements they build today or tomorrow and all settlements they built after the 1967 war are illegal, and we are going to deal with [them] on this basis," he added.

Abbas said that King Abdullah had expressed support for all international and regional efforts aimed at "helping the Palestinians and Israelis to resume peace talks and find solutions to core issues in accordance with a well-defined timetable."

Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh thanked Egypt Monday for its efforts to bring about a cease-fire with Israel, adding that he hoped this would be followed by a deal to mend the rift between the Islamic organization and Abbas's Fatah party.

The Hamas leader also said that the calm stemmed from Israel's realization that its policy in the Strip had failed, and that Hamas had an effective deterrent against Israeli "aggression."

Related articles:
  • Shin Bet: Possibility of fresh Intifada in 2008 is low
  • Report: Hamas leader says hundreds of militants trained in Iran, Syria
  • Palestinians: Hamas, Hezbollah cooperated on Jerusalem terror attack
  • Hamas: Cease-fire deal must include West Bank
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Hezbollah scare
    Lebanese group's influence has dramatically increased in the West Bank.
    Literary boycott
    Peres calls Muslim countries' shunning of Paris Book Fair 'most ridiculous.'
      1.   IDF failed to stop rockets, diplomacy did! 03:08  |  Moon 10/03/08
      2.   GOVT BEGGING HAMAS:ONLY 3 QASAMS A DAY! I WON`T HIT YOU BACK))))) 03:09  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 10/03/08
      3.   RETAKE GAZA,PROTECT ISRAEL, WIPE OUT TERROR, STOP DAILY BLOODSHED 03:10  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 10/03/08
      4.   A glimmer of sanity 03:17  |  Aphemia 10/03/08
      5.   Israel has no right to attack Gaza 03:24  |  Shulamit 10/03/08
      6.   Shame 03:24  |  MR 10/03/08
      7.   "Truce" 03:31  |  Jack 10/03/08
      8.   To Voice of Moshiach 03:32  |  Don 10/03/08
      9.   Moon: Diplomacy Worked b/c of IDF 03:33  |  Brad 10/03/08
      10.   Yes, Egypt not anymore motivated 03:35  |  Raphael 10/03/08
      11.   Shulamit: Israel Has Every Right To Attack Gaza 03:37  |  Brad 10/03/08
      12.   Shulamit 03:41  |  Max 10/03/08
      13.   #2,#3: Boker Tov, VOICE of MOSHIACH 03:56  |  ~~Voice of Peace ~~ 10/03/08
      14.   SHULAMAT #5 03:57  |  Tobia 10/03/08
      15.   Replace this Government 03:59  |  Joseph 10/03/08
      16.   shulamit 04:00  |  mike 10/03/08
      17.   Easing the War Crimes on Civilians? About time.... 04:01  |  POP 10/03/08
      18.   Israel does have a right to attack and occupy Gaza 04:03  |  The Chosen One 10/03/08
      19.   Hamas Truce 04:07  |  Rabbi Y Lazaros 10/03/08
      20.   #5 Shulamit is ignorant of the facts 04:10  |  Conroy 10/03/08
      21.   Good Idea 04:11  |  Mark Lincoln 10/03/08
      22.   #1 Moon - Diplomacy 04:14  |  Jon 10/03/08
      23.   And the lesson to be learnt is......? 04:16  |  Johnboy 10/03/08
      24.   #5 Shulamit - please define what ending the occupation entails 04:19  |  Jon 10/03/08
      25.   Dumber and Lincoln 04:28  |  George W. Bush 10/03/08
      26.   HUDNA 04:43  |  Jeff 10/03/08
      27.   Occupation as source of all evil 04:52  |  Richard D Kaplan, MD 10/03/08
      28.   Israel Caves in - Mommy, help me 04:52  |  Pal Solidarity 10/03/08
      29.   For Shame, Olmert 05:01  |  A Nice Fellow 10/03/08
      30.   #1. Retake Gaza 05:01  |  Pal Solidarity 10/03/08
      31.   Translate it... 05:03  |  Shalom 10/03/08
      32.   #25 GWB, it`s not your imagination, Lincoln is a total knob 05:07  |  Conroy 10/03/08
      33.   Another proof 05:07  |  Alex 10/03/08
      34.   how long will this order last, pray tell? 05:12  |  Josh 10/03/08
      35.   #GWB Part II 05:15  |  Conroy 10/03/08
      36.   Stupid, Stupid, Stupid 05:17  |  Eli 10/03/08
      37.   #5 Shulamit - you`re behind the times 05:17  |  * BEN JABO 10/03/08
      38.   State (Olmert) orders. 05:18  |  Dudka 10/03/08
      39.   For the Australian Johnboy 05:20  |  Nareema 10/03/08
      40.   Hamas Rearming 05:23  |  Juniper 10/03/08
      41.   Diplomacy? 05:26  |  Tony 10/03/08
      42.   diplomacy works .... 05:34  |  steve dill 10/03/08
      43.   Revolt against the Arabs and Islam 05:53  |  American Christian 10/03/08
      44.   What about the oil? 05:56  |  American Christian 10/03/08
      45.   What An Idiotic Policy _ Hamas Dictates When A fight Starts And 05:59  |  Eli 10/03/08
      46.   #5 Shulamit is Correct: Please refer to Rosner`s New Mailbox 06:00  |  Angel 10/03/08
      47.   To Shulamit #5...she just landed her spaceship on earth 06:28  |  SLAVO 10/03/08
      48.   if g-d exist he supports the palestinians 06:30  |  found a sign 10/03/08
      49.   Thank you for only firing 3 rockets a day; thank you! 06:32  |  Olmert, Livni, Barak 10/03/08
      50.   I would say its time for New Elections Olmert & Cronies must go 06:35  |  Shepherd 10/03/08
      51.   #32 Nareema piles on the cliches 06:38  |  Johnboy 10/03/08
      52.   Arabs standing up to themselves 06:50  |  Hallelujah 10/03/08
      53.   To #1 (Moon): the lull in rocket firing is not peace 06:52  |  Joe 10/03/08
      54.   good news 07:09  |  paulo2005 10/03/08
      55.   Flaws and Issues 07:10  |  Kobi 10/03/08
      56.   Angel: Glad You Asked 07:22  |  Brad 10/03/08
      57.   Christian American: shut up 07:27  |  Egyptian 10/03/08
      58.   It is a shame it took them so long to find out 07:47  |  Kris Lazar 10/03/08
      59.   Pathetic - IDF and Olmert Govt. Have Learned Nothing 07:48  |  Tod Zuckerman 10/03/08
      60.   I don`t want to spoil the party 08:18  |  Calm 10/03/08
      61.   The law as per Lincoln 08:25  |  x-ray 10/03/08
      62.   # 56 whose god do you worship???? 08:27  |  Adrian de Klerk 10/03/08
      63.   Israel NEGOTIATING WITH TERROR again...... 08:35  |  amir 10/03/08
      64.   # shulamit the simple 08:35  |  Adrian de Klerk 10/03/08
      65.   the un-deal of Hamas and Olmert 08:44  |  Gregor 10/03/08
      66.   even the mar bros were never this funny as the inconsistent olmer 08:53  |  v hardman 10/03/08
      67.   This is a very interesting situation 09:00  |  Adrian de Klerk 10/03/08
      68.   Destroy the terrorists. 09:02  |  Jean Van Daem 10/03/08
      69.   Another Defeat for Israel. Another 2nd Lebanon War 09:15  |  Dolly 10/03/08
      70.   Shulamit