Iran Election Guide

Donate to EAWV





Or, click to learn more

Search

Entries in Fathi Hammad (1)

Sunday
Nov222009

Middle East Inside Line: An Israeli Truce with Hamas?

Palestine: Abbas Claims Secret Israeli Talks with Hamas

Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis


shake-hand-concepts-1Hamas declared on Saturday that all groups in Gaza have reached consensus to halt rocket attacks upon Israel.

"We have agreed with the factions that nobody carries out any action involving rockets for now," said Hamas' interior minister Fathi Hammad. He stated that the aims of the agreement were to avoid another Israeli military operation and to enable people to rebuild after January's Israeli invasion.

Haaretz's Amos Harel writes that there is an implicit truce between Israel and Hamas, as the latter are aware that rockets have not caused severe damage to the "enemy" and the Israeli offensive broke the power of Hamas. The Palestinian Authority is claiming secret meetings leading to a truce between Hamas and Israel; the Gazan group denies the accusation.

Harel argues that the real tension for Israel is now in the north, as Hezbollah which has accumulated a tremendous arsenal since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006. It was reported on Saturday thatthe Lebanese army opened fire on an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle, and the Lebanese military chief said he would heighten border security.