Top Gaza Hamas official: We are committed to ceasefire with Israel
Mahmoud Zahar says Hamas does not want an escalation with Israel despite recent rise in violence but hints at group's rearmament.
By News AgenciesHamas said on Friday that they were committed to the unofficial ceasefire with Israel reached after Operation Cast Lead in 2008, despite a rise in violence in recent weeks.
Top Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar said "We are committed to self-restraint as long as there is no oppression and no aggression."
But rocket and mortar fire from Gaza have increased in the run-up to the second anniversary of Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip which began on Dec. 27, 2008 and lasted for three weeks before an unofficial ceasefire.
Zahar insists the unofficial cease-fire is not a sign of weakness. He spoke to thousands of supporters after Friday prayers in the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis.
Zahar also hinted that Hamas was using it to rearm and reorganize, and criticized rivals in the Palestinian Authority for new arrests of Hamas members in the West Bank.
A spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry said Zahar's declared intentions will be tested by the reality on the ground. "Hamas has escalated the situation, it can now be de-escalated by simply stopping the rocket fire," said Yigal Palmor.
This past week, one Palestinian was killed and three were wounded in the northern Gaza Strip when they approached the border fence at a point Israel has declared off limits, Gaza medical officials said.
An Israel Defense Forces spokeswoman said troops had spotted four suspicious figures and shot at them when they did not heed orders to leave the area.
Gaza hospital sources said 13 Palestinians had been killed in cross-border hostilities with Israeli forces this month.
Also this past week, an Israeli teenage girl was lightly wounded when a Qassam rocket exploded in an open field near a kindergarten in the Ashkelon area.
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Mahmoud Zahar. |
| Photo by: AP |
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Israel can have a Jewish State and Palestine can have a Muslim State. The issue is really with the "moderate" Arab States who will decide if any Palestinian State is to be successful.
and I might begin to believe you.
BELIEVE WHAT THEY DO NOT WHAT THEY SAY.
"there is no place for you among us, and you have no future among the nations of the world. You are headed to annihilation."
It appears that Israel wants Hamas to catch up in weaponry so the IDF and Israelis will have greater casualties in the near future.
It appears that Israel wants Hamas to catch up in weaponry so the IDF and Israelis will have greater casualties in the near future.
Hamas, which has to know about the increased attacks from Gaza even if it didn't fire the rockets - and the wording of israel remonstrations show that Israel does not actually believe Hamas did - speaks glibly of not wanting a wider war. Why is Hamas suddenly not suppressing Islamic Jihad and Fatah? Would it be because Hamas finds it most convenient to be seen as fighting back against Israel immediately after Israel has proven that Abbas is just a supplicant who has sold the Palestinians out to Israel in return for nothing. Hamas sees war as a tool of politics. Hamas has a goal of taking total control of Palestine and Hamas is not about to pass up the chance offered by Netanyahu destroying Abbas and all hope for peace. Israel has now solved the threat of Abbas and those Palestinians who thought waging peace would produce a Palestine. Now Israel is back to dealing with Palestinians who see - unfortunately correctly - that only buckets of Israeli blood will win freedom for Palestine. Netanyahu defeated Obama and destroyed Abbas. Because he has succeeded in his puerile ambitions, he has unleashed forces that will kill too many Israelis.
Israel observes a cease fire while Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel.
Let's think positive and believe this can be the beginning of peace for all. I'm happy! :)
On Christmas Day Jesus the Jewish Baby was Born. Sing along, stop quarrelling. Be happy Love Each other.90.000 are going to visit House of Bread= Bet-Lechem .Think about it. Peace on Earth and Good Will toward all men's creation. .
Every week you say you want to destroy Israel, and willing for a temporary 10 year truce in exchange for a Palestinian state on land conquered from Egypt and Jordan, and after 10 years you'd continue to attack Tel Aviv(And we know you'll be tempted to break it after a month). You don't lie this time, you just try to take it out of contest. Your demands, philosophy and goals are mind boggling.
Everybody in the World can get along provided people observe basic laws.
Like they were for the year before Cast Lead when thousands of rockets were fired at our civilians and the Carters and Obamas of the world remained silent. Cast Lead II cometh and this time, there will nothing left but a dust bowl of what was once called Gaza
Hamas say they are committed to ceasefire, Bibi says the world doesn't see Israel as an obstacle to peace, the protesters in Bat Yam say they are not racist... The season of lies is here.
Happy New Year... it's not going to be our last...
a state of quietness until they get more weapons and abduct more soldiers... They should consider themselves so luck that their enemy (israel) has mercy upon them, which Hamas would never have themselves if the tables were turned.. But then again, the only reason Israel is so much more powerful than it's enemies IS because they have that much more mercy than their enemies.. Either way, whatever Hamas thinks it's doing by pretending to want calm as they try to obtain more advance weaponry against Israel, will blow up in their face. All of Israel's enemies COMBINED don't have the necessary weaponry.. Why do you think they dare not strike? Let them build up their weapons, it will only be that much more embarrassing for them when they finally DO move in to strike Israel once and for all.. Israel set back Iran's nuke program 2 years with just a Stuxnet computer virus, and Hamas really thinks Israel can't handle a few more anti-tank missiles? Really? Leave it to Israel's enemies to always live in fantasy land.
"Top Gaza Hamas official: We are committed to ceasefire with Israel" Cool! Nice To Hear!, Now Arrest some one before they launch instead of the Israelis striking them!
he changed color and now dress better.israel must hit him hard if they dare to send one more mortar
I think this post is totally off track. I'd have to say none of the above to all of them. Just a bit of insincere but insignificant. rhetoric
It is unlikely that any cease fire can work unless it is arrived at openly and does not include any hidden gems like the (UNMARKED) Zone of Death that the IDF maintains inside Gaza, The death of the shepherd was a shot in his back. And those wounded-only were kids. Voices don't carry over hundreds of meters and bullet sounds travel slower than bullets. Better would be a double wall with mines between. That way, nothing crosses the border, not bullets, not people.
'13 Palestinians had been killed in cross-border hostilities with Israeli forces this month. ' This would be true in the case of some. Others were simply innocents deliberately murdered by Israel. It's only 'hostilities' if both sides are playing the game. Wake me up when you describe the Dolphinarium bombing or something as 'hostilities.'