Diplomat: Hamas Willing To Seek "Solution"

George Baghdadi is CBS News' reporter in Damascus.

(AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal has for the first time indicated a willingness to work toward a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, according to Russian diplomats in the Syrian capital.

Russian diplomats in Damascus tell CBS News that Mashaal, seen at left in a 2008 file photo, indicated to a senior envoy from Moscow a "readiness to contribute in reaching a solution to stop the aggression in Gaza."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday that Israel had accepted an Egyptian-French cease-fire plan for the Gaza Strip, but Hamas officials in Syria told CBS News that they could not agree to the plan because it does not guarantee open border crossings or an end to a crippling blockade.

(Click here for the latest on cease-fire negotiations.)

It was the first time Hamas' senior leader had implied a willingness to order a halt to the rocket attacks that Israel points to as the justification for their assault on Gaza.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose country holds unique sway with the Islamic militant group, met Tuesday with Alexander Sultanov, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's special envoy for Middle Eastern Affairs.

Diplomatic sources said it was Sultanov who met Mashaal.

The diplomats, who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, said, however, that Mashaal also warned he was not prepared to cooperate until Israel agreed to open the border-crossings into the besieged Gaza Strip and halt their own military operations.

(AP Photo/Eric Feferberg)

Meanwhile, al-Assad (at left) said any truce between Israel and Hamas must stop what his country describes as "war crimes," and lift the blockade on the tiny Palestinian territory.

Sultanov also held a meeting with Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem and to review international and regional endeavors, including the role that could be played by Russia to stop the Israeli aggression and withdraw the military forces from the Strip, according to state-run Syrian Arab News Agency.

Al-Assad and Medvedev spoke on the phone earlier in the week and the Russian leader decided to send his aide for more talks with the Syrians.

The Syrian President, after talks with Sarkozy in Damascus on Tuesday, said a cease-fire was only attainable after Israel stops the "war crimes" and opens the crossing points to allow the flow of medical and other aid to the Palestinians.

Sarkozy was in Damascus Tuesday pressing Syria to convince Hamas to halt rocket fire into Israel.

Syria, along with Iran, is a main backer of Hamas and hosts members of the group's exiled leadership, including Mashaal.

[skydrifter1]

Warsaw Ghetto or Gaza Ghetto; where''s the difference?

Israel has been in violation of International Law and UN Mandates since 1967. Darned Palestinians, anyway!

No one notes that America''s "ally," didn''t contribute as much as a troop of Boy Scouts in Iraq. How much do we send Israel, every year - add the ''forgiveness'' of U.S. "loans?" We don''t send Foreign Aid to the Vatican; why The Jewish State of Israel?

Israel does have a point - "Mommy! Mommy! Billy hit me back; no fair!" ***, those Palestinians!

Israel has a 100:1 kill ratio; who''s the villian? How many U.S. missiles did Israel fire into Gaza - with a high fatality factor? As irritating as Hamas might be, they can''t shoot worth a ***.

Israel was spawned from terrorism; now it''s immoral.

[dooney8]

Syria and Iran are using Hamas. They give them the weapons to carry out their dirty work and don''t have to shed any blood. Too bad Hamas is to ignorant to see this.

[dooney8]

stop firing rockets, the bombs will stop falling. I wish the US had half the b*lls Israel has.

[letsbgood]

MORE PRESENT FACTS (really important)
11. Hamas took control with power (executed their own people) and corrupted elections
12. Hamas is attacking Israel before and after they took control
13. Israel never aimed at civilians (some unfortunate individuals past incidents)
14. Arab countries killed the Palestinians in their territories when tried to raise their voices
15. After 8 years of getting attacked by Hamas rockets, Israel decided to protect their civilians
16. Hamas is using the Palestinian civilians as a human shield to protect themselves
17. Hamas is using the Palestinian civilians to create hate when civilians killed by Israel
18. Israel is bombing locations where Hamas fired rockets from
19. Israel is sorry when civilians are getting killed but has the right to protect it''s own civilians
20: Hamas is only one of many Islamic groups around the world, who believes in this:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3369102968312745410

[letsbgood]

SOME PRESENT FACTS (really important)
1. Israel is the only democracy in the middle east
2. Israel is now a fact so only a peace agreement can work
3. Palestinian territories where occupied while defending from surrounded Arab countries
4. No Arab county wants the territories as part of them
5. most Arab countries slaughtered the Palestinians in their territories
6. The Palestinian situation is an excuse for Arab countries to divert hate toward Israel
7. Israel had many attempts for peace but was the only one who really wants it
8. Israel dealt with terrorists (Arafat) when showed some willing to negotiate
9. Palestinians never hide the face that a peace will be the 1st step to occupy all Israel
10. Hamas is a terror organization supported by Iran to harm Israel

[letsbgood]

SOME PAST FACTS (really important)

1. Jewish always lived in Israel that once was their kingdom
2. Jewish where expelled from Israel but some where always there
3. Jewish temples where destroyed and mosques where build on top of it
4. Jewish did not steal Israel from the Palestinian
5. Jewish are back to Israel and rebuild it
6. Jewish are as greedy, nice, good, bad as any other group
7. Due to be hunted, Jewish EDUCATION was a surviving tool
8. Due to EDUCATION Jewish known to be smarter (higher positions) and richer (not greedier...)
9. When economy is bad people tend to blame the powerful and rich groups
10. Racist and anti-semi used depressions to grow hate about Jewish people

[noloyalisti]

But is it is Israel and the United States, through their foreign and domestic policies that are at fault for all of this. Complain to the Butch Crime Family and their enablers.

[newsjunky5]

"How does one ''''''''loose'''''''' land? ;)
I normally use a roto-tiller"
---------------------
Me too, but in the Middle East they use explosives - it''s faster. Then you wait for the settlement, and the desert blooms. (it''s all the nitrates)

[honestabe8]

How does one ''''loose'''' land? ;)

Posted by jh6379again

I normally use a roto-tiller

[newsjunky5]

"Diplomat: Hamas Willing To Seek "Solution""
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They''ve been seeking a "Final Solution" of their own for a long time. Did anyone catch Mashaal''s dual meaning? Does anyone actually trust him besides Palestinians?