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Last update - 10:18 27/04/2008
Israel: Gaza truce depends on Hamas control over Jihad
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Hamas, Israel, Gaza 

Israel is waiting for the results of talks between Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups in Cairo this Wednesday before it takes a position on a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Security officials have said that if Hamas cannot restrain the smaller groups, first and foremost Islamic Jihad, there will not be much point to the agreement. Without completely restraining the smaller groups, the firing of Qassam rockets from the Strip will soon resume, they say, as has happened in the past.

Israel is not officially a party to the agreement being discussed, which would be between Hamas and Egypt. But the offices of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni receive steady reports on talks between Egypt, Hamas and other groups.
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If Egypt reaches an agreement with all the groups, its intelligence chief coordinating the talks, Omar Suleiman, may soon come to Israel. Suleiman has postponed several trips to Israel in recent months.

Meanwhile, Hamas tried Saturday to emphasize Egypt's role in the cease-fire, or tahadiyeh. The head of the Hamas political wing, Khaled Meshal, said Saturday that Egypt had asked Israel to agree on a cease-fire - Hamas had not asked Israel. Hamas released a statement warning that if Israel does not agree to the tahadiyeh "the other ways are open .... The Zionist enemy understands only the language of force and blood."

As Hamas worked on a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sounded pessimistic over the weeked on the chances for an agreement between Israel and the PA before the end of the year, despite the understandings at Annapolis. Abbas, who returned from Washington where he met with President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, told The Associated Press that he had come home "almost empty-handed."

Abbas, who spoke on a stopover in Scotland on his way back from the U.S., said the greatest stumbling block in the process was the continued construction of settlements. He said he was disappointed that the U.S. had not responded to the PA's demands to ensure the cessation of construction in the settlements under the first stage of the road map.

In the Abbas-Bush meeting, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said President Bush refused to discuss the settlements, saying he "wants to focus on the big picture."

Abbas said that while the PA wants to reach a detailed agreement including a timetable, Israel views a declaration of intent as a sufficient achievement until the end of Bush's term.

Abbas said a declaration of intent already existed, and the Palestinians wanted a "normal agreement." He added that the Palestinian people had never before accepted a partial agreement, and would not do so now. But Abbas said he would continue his regular meetings with Olmert in an attempt to move the process ahead.



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      1.   Israel under Olmert & Barak never give the right answer to Hamas 03:10  |  Kipperraes 27/04/08
      2.   no deal until 03:51  |  vik 27/04/08
      3.   cease-fire 04:09  |  Shmuelshachor 27/04/08
      4.   Thats the way to do it 05:07  |  Adrian de Klerk 27/04/08
      5.   Hamas` truce. 05:39  |  Jim 27/04/08
      6.   Hamas proved it could curb most 05:39  |  Mark Lincoln 27/04/08
      7.   Agreed, Mark Lincoln 06:28  |  Oddvark 27/04/08
      8.   Israel = Invasor 06:45  |  al-mustafa 27/04/08
      9.   Let`s keep apples and oranges seperate 07:02  |  idf_sergeant 27/04/08
      10.   A definite change of tone here 07:18  |  Colin Wright 27/04/08
      11.   Curb most attacks? You`re kidding, right? 07:34  |  MaryRose 27/04/08
      12.   #3 - why would Israel want a truce with Hamas? 07:57  |  redmike 27/04/08
      13.   To redmike # 9 - WHY? because the sky is so high..... 08:55  |  Dolly 27/04/08
      14.   Of course the other factions have to join 09:06  |  Joe Sittizen 27/04/08
      15.   Mark (stinkin`) Lincoln 09:09  |  Akiva P 27/04/08
      16.   10 - I think we are saying the same thing - we don`t need a hudna 09:39  |  redmike 27/04/08
      17.   Surprise, surprise, but I fully support Israel on this one..... 10:17  |  Swiss (Dino) 27/04/08
      18.   A slight paraphrase of Khaled Meshaal`s words 10:27  |  Yonatan 27/04/08
      19.   #6 idf sergeant - I agree; divide and conquer 10:32  |  Yonatan 27/04/08
      20.   Hamas behind the curve yet again 11:04  |  David Teich 27/04/08
      21.   Following this logic, Israel needs to include Hamas with Abbas` P 11:13  |  JustMe 27/04/08
      22.   #21 - Gaza and the West Bank should never be connected 11:38  |  redmike 27/04/08
      23.   al-mustafa # 8 Que Lastima Para Su Argumento 13:41  |  Jeff Northridge 27/04/08
      24.   Moving the Goalposts 13:44  |  Tzfonit 27/04/08
      25.   Yonatan #19 13:53  |  John Syracuse 27/04/08
      26.   As usual, the light is out at the end of Lincoln`s Tunnel 13:58  |  Panther Jet 27/04/08
      27.   If Israel is not already doing this, this will give them the idea 14:08  |  Natallie Durson 27/04/08
      28.   JustMe # 21 Hamas Shut Themselves Out 15:00  |  Jeff Northridge 27/04/08
      29.   Hamas is being decimated... 15:04  |  17 27/04/08
      30.   & what does Hamas say 15:08  |  fred 27/04/08
      31.   #6 Mark Lincoln...after sixty years 15:22  |  Lynn 27/04/08
      32.   # 17 Swiss...not so surprising 15:25  |  Lynn 27/04/08
      33.   27 Natalie, extremist factions in Gaza paid by Iran, not Israel 15:29  |  I 27/04/08
      34.   Israel will eventually accept any Hamas offer. 15:44  |  Bobby 27/04/08
      35.   more propaganda 15:49  |  Jim 27/04/08
      36.   #6 Mark Lincoln 16:00  |  Jim 27/04/08
      37.   # 32 Lynn 16:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 27/04/08
      38.   # 29 17 ....yes, indeed they truly are 16:37  |  Lynn 27/04/08
      39.   #8 al-mustafa lo que dises:En un biervo:Bovine Scatologicus! 16:37  |  K 27/04/08
      40.   Goalie Tzfonit Plays in the wrong league 16:38  |  Panther Jet 27/04/08
      41.   Tzfonit # 24 Why Bring The Settlers Into This? 16:48  |  Jeff Northridge 27/04/08
      42.   # 35 Jim.....you want Israel to arm Hamas? 16:57  |  Lynn 27/04/08
      43.   Look at the way Hamas is groveling for a ceasefire 17:09  |  Conroy 27/04/08
      44.   If this is correct then kudos to Israel 17:58  |  Johnboy 27/04/08
      45.   NEXT Israel gets THREATENED! 18:00  |  Dagma 27/04/08
      46.   Panther Jet and terms 18:27  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 27/04/08
      47.   After the truce (Morris Valentine; yesterday) 19:10  |  Tosefta 27/04/08
      48.   The confusion of Morris Valentine 19:20  |  Tosefta 27/04/08
      49.   Israeli position revealed (Mark Lincoln #6) 19:23  |  Tosefta 27/04/08
      50.   #46 Margie FYI 19:34  |  Jim 27/04/08
      51.   #42 Lynn 19:51  |  Jim 27/04/08
      52.   #43 Conroy 20:08  |  Jim 27/04/08
      53.   THE question 20:27  |  Paul 27/04/08
      54.   #25 John Syracuse - A hamas State of Gaza 21:11  |  Yonatan 27/04/08
      55.   forget it swiss,israel don`t need backstabbing cut throats like 21:14  |  terrornator 27/04/08
      56.   The confusion of Morris Valentine 21:21  |  Tosefta 27/04/08
      57.   Israeli position revealed (Mark Lincoln #6) 21:22  |  Tosefta 27/04/08
      58.   # 41 jeff- Israel always have nice excuses.First Fatah, 21:26  |  Bobby 27/04/08
      59.   Jim # 35 You`re In The Wrong Entity 22:11  |  Jeff Northridge 27/04/08
      60.   tosefta and morris anodyne in a clinch 22:45  |  joshuabennun 27/04/08
      61.   # 51 Jim ....thanks for the clarification 23:00  |  Lynn 27/04/08
      62.   Bobby # 58 Excuses? We Don`t No Stinking Excuses! 23:11  |  Jeff Northridge 27/04/08
      63.   #58 - reasons, not excuses. there`s a big difference! 23:20  |  redmike 27/04/08
      64.   #52 Sorry Jim, but I`m not as naive as you are 23:22  |  Conroy 27/04/08
      65.   # 55 terrornator 23:25  |  Swiss (Dino) 27/04/08
      66.   swiss,what do i pretend to be,simple question,now answer it 01:03  |  terrornator 28/04/08
      67.   Swiss....today, Ziegler would not be happy 01:07  |  Lynn 28/04/08
      68.   # 62 Jeff- Israel will find an excuse and Hamas 01:42  |  Bobby 28/04/08
      69.   #53 Rose coloured nonsense from Jeff 03:01  |  Johnboy 28/04/08
      70.   Hamas /Allah 03:50  |  Paul 28/04/08
      71.   #58 Jeff Northridge 04:20  |  Jim