Palestinian Talks With Israel OK'd

Hamas officials on Tuesday gave Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas the go-ahead for negotiations with Israel, a major shift in the militant Islamic group's position toward the Jewish state as it worked to end its international isolation.

As Palestinian officials pushed ahead with efforts to form a national unity government, an Israeli military court ordered the release of 19 Hamas officials — including Cabinet ministers and lawmakers — from an Israeli prison.

The men, arrested by Israel following the June 25 capture of Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit by Hamas-linked militants, will remain behind bars for several more days pending an appeal by prosecutors.

Israeli officials said the court decision was not meant to reward Hamas for its moves toward moderation.

"I don't think that right now we would be making gestures of goodwill for the Hamas. We would be making gestures of goodwill to Abu Mazen," Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said, referring to the moderate Abbas by his nickname. Eisin said the courts were independent of the government.

In other developments:

Gunmen from the ruling Hamas movement ambushed an Israeli soldier at close range, as troops searched for weapons smuggling tunnels in Gaza, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger. It was the first Israeli fatality since Israel launched an ongoing offensive in Gaza more than two months ago. The offensive was sparked by the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier, who is still being held by Hamas gunmen in Gaza. So far, negotiations for a prisoner swap have failed to achieve results.

Tanks, artillery trucks and other equipment for French peacekeepers rolled off a cargo ship Tuesday in Beirut to help them monitor a U.N.-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, a spokesman said. French forces were deploying throughout the week in Lebanon in an enhanced deployment for the 28-year-old U.N. peacekeeping force in the south of the country.

Hungary's parliament would be willing to back the deployment in Lebanon of a small contingent of doctors and border guards, lawmakers said Tuesday. Hungary has opposed sending troops to Lebanon because it already has reached its limit of around 1,000 soldiers available for international peacekeeping missions and because of the risk that troops in Lebanon could be involved in combat situations.

Hamas, whose ideology calls for Israel's destruction, reached agreement Monday with Abbas' Fatah Party to form a unity government in an effort to end the financial crisis crippling the Palestinian economy. International donors cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority when Hamas formed its Cabinet six months ago. Hamas is listed as a terror group by Israel and the West.

Israel says the new Palestinian government could be a positive development if it renounces violence and recognizes the Jewish state. But that's unlikely to happen, reports Berger (audio). Hamas officials say they won't recognize Israel, a state the group seeks to destroy. The new government's platform is based on a document which legitimizes attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank. Israel says that's a non-starter.

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[cmfischer4]

It is great to see any kind of talk between the Palestinians and the Isrealees. However, remember that the Palestinians just want their land. Isreal needs to realize that they can't take over all of it. If they both would set the example and work together. We might have harmony in the Middle East. Let us not kid ourselves, Isreal and the Jews are tying to take all of the land away from Palestine. Tthey are starving the people, not allowing them to work, seek medical attention, or education. And above, the WALL does not work for anyone. It must come down. I pray and pray for peace and it is extremely difficult to continue to keep faith when the Isrealee/jews are so mean and destructive. cmfischer2

[grazinggoat]

mjv2944, How old, do U think, are the soldiers in the IDF. Not much older. Tell Ya. Obligatory military service in Israel starts, at as young as 18, yo!. So what difference? One is stealing the land and the other is defending his rights to stay on it... And of course God is Great. Don't U agree?

[mjv2944]

ever notice that the suicide bombers are all young people? The older ones don't want ro sacrifice their lives for the good of Islam, but they carry much influence over the young extremists and brain wash them to carry out the bombings. Oh Yeah, Allah is great!!!!

[maddymappo]

Same old, same old, here we go again. The Palestinian PC front men will speak the good peace while the Palestinian back door men, the macho "we will destroy the Zionist entity" men who will boldly offer their lives up for the faith, proceed to bomb, slaughter, kidnap and terrorize Israelies. Then the script says that the PC front men shall state how they "deplore all violence against innocent civilians" (which is, naturally against the tenents of Islam etc.) but "let us look at the cause for such desperate acts". Seen this film somewhere before? As I recall it, those causes turn out to be the fear and violence that the terrorist Israeli state has inflicted on innocent Palestian woman and children and the humiliation it rains down upon the men folk who are made to stand on very long lines for very long time periods for no reason other than to degrade and demean them which is the greatest of insults to Moslem people all over the world. So of course the evil Jews deserve what they get!". Question: Are we really going to have this swill shoved down our throats yet again?