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Palestinian mourners carrying the body of a Hamas militant during his funeral in central Gaza on April 12. (AP)
Last update - 18:17 22/04/2008
Hamas: We'll give final response to truce proposal on Thursday
By Avi Issacharoff, Amos Harel and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies
Tags: Gaza, Jimmy Carter, Israel 

Hamas plans to give its final response on Thursday to a proposed Egyptian-mediated truce, a senior official from the Islamist group said on Tuesday. Hamas lawmaker Salah Bardawil also said that Hamas is considering whether to accept a truce with Israel which would take effect just in the Gaza Strip.

The move would mark a significant concession by Hamas in dropping a demand that the truce immediately include the West Bank as well, as Egyptian mediators try to halt the fighting between Palestinian militants and the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza and southern Israel.

Bardawil said on Tuesday the group is now ready for a cease-fire that would begin in Gaza, and then move to the West Bank sometime in the future. He noted that Hamas is also considering a comprehensive truce for both territories as well.
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For weeks, Hamas insisted on a mutual cease-fire in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Bardawil also said a conversation with the Palestinian news agency Ma'an that a delegation led by senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar would present the group's response to the proposed cease-fire on Thursday, at a meeting with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman in Cairo.

He added that, "If there will be resistance operations in the West Bank, the response to them will not be in Gaza, and Israel must accept this."

Bardawil noted that Hamas was willing to soften its stance to ensure the deal's success. He said Hamas' political leader, Khaled Meshal agreed to the proposal, indicating that all Hamas members, including its hard-line militant wing, must abide by the decision.

Israel regularly carries out air strikes and military incursions against Palestinian militants in Hamas-controlled Gaza, an area from which militants regularly launch rocket attacks on southern Israel.

While Israel is conducting peace talks with the rival Palestinian government in the West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces continues to carry out arrest raids in that territory as well.

Bardawil also noted that if Israel didn't abide to a truce in the West Bank as well, militants there could still legitimately carry out attacks.

Egyptian mediators initially suggested the proposal, Bardawil said.

Israel has repeatedly said it isn't negotiating with Hamas, a group that has carried out numerous suicide bombings and remains committed to Israel's destruction. A government spokesman said Tuesday that Israel would keep up its military pressure on Hamas as long as the group threatens Israeli civilians.

"Israeli defense measures are necessary because of the ongoing terrorism launched by Hamas-controlled elements in Gaza. If there were no terror activities there would be no need for Israel's military activity," spokesman David Baker said.

Also Tuesday, the Egyptian state-run newspaper al-Ahram reported Tuesday that Egypt and Hamas have drafted an agreement of principles on a cease-fire between the Islamist Palestinian group and Israel.

According to the report, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman will soon present the outline of the agreement to officials in Jerusalem, and Hamas will soon present the agreement to Islamic Jihad officials for approval.

The Kuwaiti daily al-Rai reported that the agreement calls on Hamas to cease all resistance against Israel in exchange for Israel's lifting of an economic blockade on the Gaza Strip.

The exchange of prisoners, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit held by Hamas since 2006, will be postponed to a later date, the paper reported.

Egyptian sources told al-Rai that Israel has also demanded that Hamas put an end to the smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, senior Israeli government officials have perceived 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.

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 Monday 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.

Carter was speaking following seven hours of talks with Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal in Damascus on Friday.

However, Meshal on Monday spoke of a Palestinian state on land captured by Israel in 1967 and said Hamas would not recognize Israel.

The Hamas leader said the group would "respect the Palestinian national will even if it was against our convictions."

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.

On Tuesday, Israel will 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.

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  • Carter: U.S. would not stand in way of Israel-Syria peace deal
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      1.   Cease Where? Firing what? 04:46  |  Zev 22/04/08
      2.   I see you`ve left Abu Jandal out this time 04:52  |  Rowan 22/04/08
      3.   Hamas are not to be trusted - doubletalk. 04:57  |  Free Gilad Shalit 22/04/08
      4.   Jimmy Carter`s Malignant Meglomania 05:06  |  Joe Kaufman 22/04/08
      5.   Mishal is being generous in agreeing for israel to withdraw only 05:07  |  lakshmi 22/04/08
      6.   the wait(like in 1967,the "hamtanah...") 05:41  |  Shmuelshachor 22/04/08
      7.   ISRAEL WANTS PALESTINIAN LAND NOT PEACE 06:02  |  JH 22/04/08
      8.   Olmert & Livni have to CAVE to a Hamas "hudna` 06:12  |  Dr Dave 22/04/08
      9.   Kind of like vaudeville... 07:38  |  Mr. Ed 22/04/08
      10.   A Joke at Best 08:09  |  Ron 22/04/08
      11.   Israel has a million and one excuses to avoid peace 08:48  |  Natallie Durson 22/04/08
      12.   JH why not peace, why a hudna? 09:05  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 22/04/08
      13.   Israel did not offer peace, it offered pieces! 10:07  |  El-Birawi 22/04/08
      14.   a snip of Hamas charter 10:24  |  Mikey 22/04/08
      15.   A breakthrough! 10:35  |  Outsider 22/04/08
      16.   #12 Maybe they don`t confuse "surrender" with "peace", Margie 10:50  |  Johnboy 22/04/08
      17.   DECONSTRUCTING ISRAEL 10:51  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/04/08
      18.   # 11 Natalie has a million and one excuses 10:58  |  Antonietta 22/04/08
      19.   El Birawi 11:14  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 22/04/08
      20.   Hamas backtracking ? 11:26  |  Serge 22/04/08
      21.   Margie (why not peace, why a hudna?) 12:15  |  Guido 22/04/08
      22.   Margie (re: El Birawi) 12:18  |  Guido 22/04/08
      23.   The PA is part of the war efforts in the West Bank 12:23  |  El-Birawi 22/04/08
      24.   Antonietta - Are you trying to be dim on purpose? 12:31  |  Natallie Durson 22/04/08
      25.   #17 Man, that`s some real deep paranoia, Cipora 12:47  |  Johnboy 22/04/08
      26.   Johnny Boy 13:06  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 22/04/08
      27.   Margie, What Chutzpha 13:11  |  El-Birawi 22/04/08
      28.   CJK Please please 13:14  |  Kiwi girl 22/04/08
      29.   Marg in TA #19 .. 13:21  |  kiwi girl 22/04/08
      30.   17 Cipora K John,no other country in the world has gotten away 14:02  |  lakshmi 22/04/08
      31.   Kiwi girl have you ever been to a casino and bet your money on 14:13  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 22/04/08
      32.   What I notice from all the bluster in reply to my `make peace` 14:15  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 22/04/08
      33.   Margie #29:Jordan...made war against Israel 14:32  |  Guido 22/04/08
      34.   Don`t let Hamas escape getting ousted 14:52  |  Jason 22/04/08
      35.   Wonderful News!! Israel must Counter Offense! 15:04  |  The Archives 22/04/08
      36.   More Wonderful News! 15:23  |  The Archives 22/04/08
      37.   Durson # 24 are you mentally deficient ? 15:29  |  Antonietta 22/04/08
      38.   It all depends on Washington 15:46  |  MiddleStanian 22/04/08
      39.   #26 What`s stopping them, Margie? 15:56  |  Johnboy 22/04/08
      40.   Cease-fire ? not with the culture of hate. 16:02  |  Jean Van Daem 22/04/08
      41.   #33 - Guido, I think it is you who is rewriting history 16:05  |  JES 22/04/08
      42.   # 37 Indeed Durson is mentally deficient 16:22  |  Phillip Z 22/04/08
      43.   Antonietta - My last word on the topic 16:48  |  Natallie Durson 22/04/08
      44.   Hamas official, you have nothing interesting for us 17:05  |  Daniel 22/04/08
      45.   Johnny Johnnnny so you say they shouldn`t 17:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 22/04/08
      46.   No truce With Hamas, They Break Everyone They Ever made 17:31  |  Dish It Out 22/04/08
      47.   The Saudi plan - Durson, not workable 17:37  |  Sam 22/04/08
      48.   More Expected BS From Hamas 17:42  |  Bill Foonman 22/04/08
      49.   Any future accomodation must not include the free travel from 17:46  |  Ron 22/04/08
      50.   so does zion want peace or not? stop doing war and 17:48  |  get serious 22/04/08
      51.   Praise Above 17:51  |  Soldier 22/04/08
      52.   They Will Just Prepare for Coordinated War 17:54  |  ZADOK 22/04/08
      53.   El-Birawi: perhaps you should help set up a new renegade group - 18:01  |  ivo 22/04/08
      54.   `Dish It Out` speaks for himself 18:04  |  we know 22/04/08
      55.   No truce, no nothing. Only collapse of Hamas is satisfactory 18:19  |  Genuine Tosefta 22/04/08
      56.   Hamas at the verge of collapse = A signal that Israel must attack 18:23  |  Genuine Tosefta 22/04/08
      57.   Does anyone still say that Hamas doesn`t move....???? 18:26  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/04/08
      58.   Israel has to seize the moment and break down Hamas once and for 18:26  |  Genuine Tosefta 22/04/08
      59.   hamas you indulge in fantasies 18:36  |  harzion 22/04/08
      60.   # 43 Natalie last word! 18:46  |  Phillip 22/04/08
      61.   Hamas vows `harsh` attacks on Israel, says previous assaults wer 18:51  |  Genuine Tosefta 22/04/08
      62.   We don`t need your final response Hamas 19:04  |  Genuine Tosefta 22/04/08
      63.   i have to seize the moment and go see my shrink 19:13  |  Genuine Tosefta 22/04/08
      64.   JES #41 19:17  |  Guido 22/04/08
      65.   Hamas is a clan of jokes 19:43  |  Daniel 22/04/08
      66.   Cipora.#17 If it is `outrageous beyond words` 20:16  |  Roo 22/04/08
      67.   Durson #24 are you mentally defic 20:28  |  Hymie 22/04/08