Egypt: 'Good progress' made in Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks

[bemildred]

WASHINGTON - Egypt said on Friday it was making good progress trying to negotiate a tacit cease-fire, including a prisoner exchange, between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said his government was speaking with both sides to get a "period of quiet," which would help Israeli and Palestinian negotiators achieve a deal more easily in U.S.-mediated Palestinian statehood talks that exclude Hamas.

"Hamas wants to call it a period of quiet. That suits the Israelis because they do not want to reach a signed, written agreement with Hamas," Gheit said of Egypt's mediation attempts in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. "We are making good progress but the difficulty we face is that often, certain trends inside Israel challenge the idea and certain trends inside Gaza challenge the idea and maybe, maybe there could also be a foreign element," he said with a smile, referring to the United States.

Israel and the United States both classify Hamas as a terrorist organization and shun contacts with it, although Washington has quietly given a nod for Egypt to negotiate with the Islamist group to end violence that threatens the statehood talks.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/976382.html

[Vegasaurus]

1. A period of quiet is good

except that Hamas has claimed that they will use any period of calm to regroup with bigger weapons.

Since they are clear in their intentions, Israel needs to look at any "hudna" as one would a snake in the grass.

[LeftishBrit]

2. I hope this does come to something.

[Scurrilous]

3. 'Lull possible within days,' says Hamas

Hamas sources confirm Arab media reports of impending ceasefire with Israel, brokered by Egypt; Jerusalem denies knowledge of any breakthrough in talks

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3534471,00.html

<snip>

"Egypt has been able to strike an agreement with Hamas for a ceasefire with Israel, the Egyptian al-Ahram weekly reported Tuesday.

According to the report, Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is expected to visit Israel in the very near future to present Jerusalem with the agreement.

Meanwhile, Kuwait's al-Rai al-Aam newspaper quoted high-ranking Egyptian sources as saying the ceasefire agreement was still in the works, adding that Egypt now awaits the final decision of Hamas leaders, which are conferring on the matter in Damascus.

Should Hamas give Egypt the clear answers it awaits, Suleiman will venture to Israel to secure the necessary guarantees to implement the agreement.

The said interim principles "aim to ensure a ceasefire of all Hamas actions in exchange for Israel lifting the Gaza siege. The matter of prisoners exchange is expected to be postponed to a later date; but Israel still has a few more preconditions such as ceasing all smugglings and weapon developments by Hamas during the lull."

[Vegasaurus]

4. "a ceasefire of all HAMAS actions"

which probably means that the IJ and all the other terrorist groups will continue shooting rockets and trying to blow people up, just as they have during past "lulls".

[bemildred]

5. Report: Egypt and Hamas draft deal for Hamas-Israel cease-fire

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.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/976967.html

[bemildred]

6. Hamas official: We're ready to accept truce just in Gaza Strip

Hamas has softened its position and is willing to accept a cease-fire in just the Gaza Strip, dropping a demand that the truce immediately include the West Bank as well, senior representatives of the Palestinian militant group said Tuesday.

The move marked a significant concession by Hamas as Egyptian mediators try to halt the fighting between Palestinian militants and the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza and southern Israel.

For weeks, Hamas insisted on a mutual cease-fire in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Hamas lawmaker Salah Bardawil said the group is now ready for a cease-fire that will begin in Gaza, and then move to the West Bank sometime in the future. Another senior Hamas official also confirmed the group's new position.

Bardawil said 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.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/976967.html