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Last update - 23:47 24/04/2008
Hamas offers six-month Gaza truce, with eye to West Bank expansion
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies
Tags: Hamas, Gaza Strip, Egypt 

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"The truce must be mutual and simultaneous and the blockade must be lifted and the crossing points opened, including the Rafah crossing point (between Gaza and Egypt)."

Other Palestinian factions, including the Islamic Jihad militant group and leftist groups based in Damascus, had preliminarily approved the offer, Zahar said.

Suleiman, Egypt's main contact with Hamas and Israel, had agreed to call Palestinian factions to Egypt to discuss the offer and ensure Palestinian consensus, Zahar said.

"It was agreed with Minister Suleiman to invite the Palestinian factions next Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the paper presented by our side," Zahar said.

The Egyptian official would then contact the Israelis to ensure that they are committed to the truce and to fix a date for it to start, the Hamas leader added.

A Palestinian official close to the talks with Egyptian mediators said earlier Thursday: "Hamas's position is that they agree to a calm in Gaza and the West Bank but it would begin in Gaza at this stage and then apply to the West Bank after an agreed and specified period of time."

Hamas had previously demanded that any truce apply to both Gaza and the West Bank simultaneously.

Hamas' Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday that Hamas is prepared to offer Israel a long-term cease-fire, or hudna, in return for an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 lines, a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and right of return for refugees - without recognizing Israel.

Summary of Hamas' offer:

  • The truce between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip would be for a period of six months during which time Egypt would try to extend it to the West Bank.

  • The truce must be reciprocal and simultaneous on the part of Israelis and Palestinians.

  • Israel must lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip and reopen all the crossing points, including the Rafah crossing point into Egypt, simultaneously with the start of the truce.

  • If Israel rejects the truce, Egypt would reopen the Rafah crossing point. If Israel reneges on its truce commitments, Egypt would keep the Rafah crossing open.

  • Egypt would supervise the process of reaching a consensus on the terms of the truce with other Palestinian factions. Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman has agreed to invite whichever Palestinian factions Egypt sees fit to Egypt next Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the Hamas proposals.

  • Once the Palestinian factions have agreed to the terms of the truce Suleiman will contact the Israeli side to ensure that they are committed to the truce and fix a starting time.

  • Egypt has promised to start immediate contacts with the Israeli side to prepare the atmosphere for the truce and to provide basic needs to the Gaza Strip, especially fuel.

  • Egypt will contact Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of the rival Fatah faction to make sure that Fatah does not obstruct the opening of the crossing points.

  • Egypt must try to persuade Abbas to put an end to abuses and violations in the West Bank - a reference to Fatah's harassment of Hamas members there.

  • If Israel does not meet its truce obligations, stop attacks and end the blockade, then the Palestinians have a right to defend themselves by all legitimate means.

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      1.   and israel`s demands are 06:35  |  real vision 24/04/08
      2.   Hamas is Desperate 07:01  |  ERSB 24/04/08
      3.   Hamas in its own words. 08:26  |  Jean Van Daem 24/04/08
      4.   Israel more annoyed by Bush than they are by Hamas 08:28  |  Natallie Durson 24/04/08
      5.   Cease fire 10:20  |  Leah 24/04/08
      6.   Israel conditions: 11:15  |  The Archives 24/04/08
      7.   Extra Proposals to cover Holes in Cease fire conditions 11:33  |  The Archives 24/04/08
      8.   Gaza is boling and becoming new Somalia 11:35  |  ordinary Gazan 24/04/08
      9.   CEASE FIRE 14:07  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 24/04/08
      10.   HAMAS ADMITS WHAT WE ALL KNOW 14:11  |  Ian 24/04/08
      11.   # ORDINARY GAZAN - YOU PUT HAMAS 14:12  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 24/04/08
      12.   Gaza Resident 15:00  |  Iz Ray Leigh 24/04/08
      13.   Who would have thought 16:19  |  steve from raleigh 24/04/08
      14.   # 8 ordinary Gazan....Take a good look at Haniyeh 16:28  |  Lynn 24/04/08
      15.   to ordinary Gazan 16:29  |  Mikey 24/04/08
      16.   This is pure suicide for Israel, NEVER is the Answer to HAMAS 16:44  |  Gill 24/04/08
      17.   Egypt - you supply them 16:50  |  Sam 24/04/08
      18.   Hamas = we can shoot at you 16:57  |  Lynn 24/04/08
      19.   Ordinary Gazan: you are suffering because of Hamas 17:00  |  Realist 24/04/08
      20.   # 10 Hamas lied about Shalit too 17:01  |  Lynn 24/04/08
      21.   #6 - why are you talking about the PA ? 17:59  |  redmike 24/04/08
      22.   ordinary Gazan makes a valid point 18:02  |  examiner 24/04/08
      23.   #8 - Palestinians received billions over the last few years and 18:03  |  redmike 24/04/08
      24.   #13 - your post is only intelligible to you .. 18:06  |  redmike 24/04/08
      25.   Ordinary Gazan 18:07  |  Real Swiss 24/04/08
      26.   #4 - neither the Palestinians nor Israel are interested in peace! 18:15  |  redmike 24/04/08
      27.   Dreamers-No 1 replaces Olmert, No 5-Livnat and Barak 18:16  |  db 24/04/08
      28.   Hamas in a win-win situation 18:25  |  Mark Lincoln 24/04/08
      29.   Hamas is right about one thing ... 18:35  |  Dutch 24/04/08
      30.   Do the idiot right wing and rabid dog islamists work together? 18:41  |  Merle 24/04/08
      31.   Haniyeh - who knew you were so kind? 18:43  |  Max 24/04/08
      32.   ONE WAY ONLY -ARABS 1, JEWS 0 18:46  |  american jewish man 24/04/08
      33.   THIS IS BALONEY 18:51  |  superjew 24/04/08
      34.   Which is more important to Israel? 18:52  |  Clickfool 24/04/08
      35.   to all the gazans 19:04  |  real vision 24/04/08
      36.   NO SUCH THING AS A TRUCE 19:21  |  jewish doctor 24/04/08
      37.   ordinary Gazan makes a valid point 19:39  |  examiner 24/04/08
      38.   # 8 Ordinary gazan-- Bravo.After resisting for 19:48  |  Bobby 24/04/08
      39.   Take your offer and shove it 19:52  |  PS 24/04/08
      40.   #8 Ordinary Gazan 19:58  |  Douglas Fireman 24/04/08
      41.   Israel is getting worked 20:20  |  Observer 24/04/08
      42.   #4 I am more annoyed by Bush than I am by Natalie... 20:28  |  Ha Ha Ha Hamass 24/04/08
      43.   Are you for Real? 20:58  |  Evan 24/04/08
      44.   oh dear, the examiner sniffles 20:59  |  peter 24/04/08
      45.   End the vile siege you rotters! 21:17  |  lakshmi 24/04/08
      46.   Pal state on West Bank but 10 million Jews must be allowed in 23:29  |  Sam 24/04/08
      47.   Peace with Hamas 23:44  |  Dik 24/04/08
      48.   Cham-as, Gauza and temporary truce bandaids: Bayer anyone? 23:55  |  Zev 24/04/08
      49.   Durson`s life in her own cul-de-sac 23:57  |  Joe Sittizen 24/04/08
      50.   Good start ! 00:01  |  lakshmi 25/04/08
      51.   #8..Ordinary Gazan 00:01  |  Jabotinsky 25/04/08
      52.   Hamas offer of truce 00:13  |  Randy Katz 25/04/08
      53.   Making Egypt the judge is like having the cat guarding the milk 00:23  |  Genuine Tosefta 25/04/08
      54.   What happened Hamas? 2 days ago you said that it was only practic 00:30  |  Genuine Tosefta 25/04/08
      55.   ordinary Gazan # 8 You Can Have Everything That You Want 00:43  |  Jeff Northridge 25/04/08
      56.   six months 00:53  |  Shmuelshachor 25/04/08
      57.   Ten years to six months 00:59  |  Walter 25/04/08
      58.   Sittizen there are none so blind as those who will not see 01:02  |  take it from me 25/04/08
      59.   hamas 01:35  |  richard mallin 25/04/08
      60.   re 1 baby steps 01:52  |  Alan the real one 25/04/08
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