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Israel awaits Hamas cease-fire proposal via Egypt, as Carter wraps up trip By Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies , By Amos Harel and Barak Ravid Senior government officials perceive a change in Hamas positions in recent days, at least concerning attempts to achieve a lull in fighting in the Gaza Strip. Nevertheless, Israel has not yet committed itself officially to a cease-fire and is waiting for a detailed proposal to be delivered via Egypt. Israeli sources credit the turnabout in Hamas' position to the economic and military pressure put on Gaza. Hamas appears to be willing to accept a cease-fire that applies only to Gaza, and not the West Bank. Advertisement Despite Hamas attempts to create a major incident at Kerem Shalom last Saturday, the IDF has made do with a limited reaction in Gaza, in part to prevent escalation during the holiday, but possibly also due to renewed Egyptian mediation. Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said yesterday that Hamas is prepared to accept Israel's right to live in peace. Hamas is also prepared to accept the outcome of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, provided it is approved in a Palestinian referendum or by a Palestinian government chosen in new elections, Carter said. However, Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal in Damascus spoke of a Palestinian state on land captured by Israel in 1967 and said Hamas would not recognize Israel. Meshal said Hamas would "respect the Palestinian national will even if it was against our convictions." Carter met in Damascus with Meshal and other Hamas leaders on Friday. Carter said yesterday "there's no doubt that both the Arab world and the Palestinians, including Hamas, will accept Israel's right to live in peace within the 1967 borders. Carter returned to Jerusalem this week to brief Israeli leaders on his talks with Meshal regarding a proposed truce in the Gaza Strip and an exchange of prisoners. Hamas officials have said before they would establish a peace in stages if Israel were to withdraw to the pre-1967 Six-Day War borders. But it has been evasive about how it sees the final borders of a Palestinian state, and has not abandoned its official call for Israel's destruction. "They said they would accept a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders if approved by Palestinians ... even though Hamas might disagree with some terms of the agreement," Carter said in a speech, after talks in Syria and Egypt with Hamas leaders. Carter, in a speech in Jerusalem yesterday that capped a nine-day visit to the Middle East, referred to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and said Hamas will not "undermine Abbas' efforts to negotiate an agreement and Hamas will accept an agreement if the Palestinians support it in a free vote." Carter said he was told by Hamas that a referendum on a peace deal must be preceded by its reconciliation with Abbas' Fatah faction. The Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Sami Abu-Zuhri, said Palestinian refugees living in exile must be included in the voting - a condition that could complicate approval of a deal. Abu-Zuhri also noted that Hamas would regard any future Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as "transitional." Carter told reporters that the Hamas leaders he met "didn't say anything about transitional." Carter said Hamas turned down his proposal for a 30-day unilateral cease-fire with Israel but Egypt would continue its efforts to mediate a truce. "I did the best I could on that," Carter said of his failure to persuade Hamas to halt rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. Letter from Shalit Carter also told Trade Minister Eli Yishai that Hamas was ready to release another letter from abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit to his family. The Islamists had no opposition to releasing Shalit as part of a prisoner swap, he said, and Carter asked Yishai to consider meeting with officials in Egypt regarding Shalit's release. Yishai responded that he has already met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, on the matter, but said he would consider another meeting. Defense sources praised the promise to pass on another letter from Shalit as a result of Carter's visit, but view it mostly as a humanitarian gesture, which says nothing about progress in the negotiations to free Shalit. It is also hard to evaluate Meshal's influence on the senior leaders of the Hamas military wing in Gaza. The former U.S. president told Yishai that Meshal had appreciated Yishai's offer to meet with the Islamist group regarding the Shalit deal, but did not want to compromise Egyptian mediation. Carter's statements on an agreement for a possible prisoner swap are not significantly different from previous ones reached in the past with Egyptian help, said Israeli officials. The sought-after deal has been stuck for months. After the meeting with Carter, Yishai spoke with Gilad's father, Noam Shalit, and with Ofer Dekel, who is responsible for negotiations for the return of the abducted soldiers. Noam Shalit said there was nothing new in Carter's statements, and that Meshal has repeated himself a number of times but has taken no practical action. Carter said direct communication between Israel and Hamas could facilitate the release of Shalit. According to Carter, Meshal has promised that Shalit, who was kidnapped in a cross-border raid in June 2006, is in good physical health. "We do not believe that peace is likely and certainly that peace is not sustainable unless a way is found to bring Hamas into the discussions in some way," Carter said. "The present strategy of excluding Hamas and excluding Syria is just not working." Carter added that Israeli-Palestinian peace making has regressed since the Annapolis conference last November. Israel will today open in a very limited way the Erez Crossing at the north end of the Gaza Strip, and probably also the Sufa Crossing. The Kerem Shalom Crossing will remain closed for now after last Friday's attack. The fuel terminal at Nahal Oz, where two civilians were killed two weeks ago, has been closed for a few days. It seems the Dor Alon fuel company, which operates the terminal, is worried about additional attacks. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Double agent U.S. arrests American over suspected nuclear espionage for Israel. Conspiracy theory Al-Qaida: Hezbollah started rumor that Israel planned 9/11

Read & React American suspected of giving nuclear secrets to Israel Responses: 206 Study: Muslim anti-Semitism is strategic danger for Israel Responses: 349 Israel to compensate family of British filmmaker killed by IDF Responses: 132 Clinton: If Tehran nukes Israel, U.S. could 'obliterate' Iran Responses: 185 Bradley Burston: For our worst enemy, Hamas, just 2 words Responses: 125 More Headlines 23:22 U.S. arrests American over suspected nuclear espionage for Israel 22:54 ANALYSIS: New espionage affair may be old story, but will greatly damage Israel 23:04 Qassam rocket slams into Sderot home; residents suffer shock 16:36 Israeli think tank: Muslim anti-Semitism is strategic danger for Israel 18:17 Hamas: We'll give final response to truce proposal on Thursday 19:41 Qaida No. 2: Hezbollah started rumor that Israel planned 9/11 01:38 Police: J'lem thieves profit from foreign residents' empty homes 01:40 Barbra Streisand pulls out of Israel 60th anniversary jubilee 20:21 Filming begins in Vienna for tongue-in-cheek Hitler biopic 22:33 U.S. dispatching top envoy to work with Blair on aiding Palestinians 17:47 Clinton: If Tehran nukes Israel, U.S. could 'totally obliterate' Iran 21:47 Thousands of Haredim protest against chametz sale ruling in Jerusalem 17:03 12-year-old boy who was buried alive saves 5 people in death Previous Editions Select Day 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr 10 apr 09 apr

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