Israel Confirms Truce With Hamas In Gaza

Cease-Fire To Begin Thursday Morning, But Both Sides Remain On Guard In Vacuum Of Trust

(CBS/ AP)  Israel confirmed Wednesday that a cease-fire with the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip will begin Thursday.

If the fighting indeed ceases, Israel will next week agree to ease the blockade of the Gaza Strip, Israeli defense officials said. In tandem with the easements, talks on efforts to release an Israeli soldier held by Hamas will be intensified, the officials said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks.

Egypt, the mediator of the talks, had announced the agreement on Tuesday, saying that it will begin Thursday at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT). Hamas confirmed the deal shortly afterward.

Egypt has committed as part of the deal to stop the smuggling of arms and weapons into the Gaza Strip, the officials said. A U.S. military engineering corps is slated to aid the Egyptian efforts, the officials said.

If Israel determines that Egyptian anti-smuggling efforts are serious, Hamas, Egypt and European officials will begin talks on the opening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, the officials said.

The truce was meant to end a violent cycle of Palestinian rocket attacks that have killed seven Israelis over the past year and Israeli reprisals that have killed more than 400 Palestinians.

But the phased approach is prone to pitfalls, and past truces have quickly broken down. Israel cautiously promised a "new reality" if the rocket fire ends.

The announcement capped months of Egyptian-brokered negotiations that have been repeatedly marred by violence. The deal was first announced in Cairo by Egypt's state-run news agency and quickly confirmed by Hamas. However, Hamas said it would respond to any Israeli attacks.

Underscoring the fragile situation, Israeli aircraft attacked three targets in southern Gaza, killing six Palestinian militants, Gaza medical officials said. In response, Palestinian militants fired seven rockets into Israel, the Israeli military said.

CBS News correspondent Robert Berger reports Israel was reluctant to accept the truce, fearing Hamas will use it to regroup and rearm for another round of violence. But Israeli analyst Chuck Freilich says that for now, a ceasefire is preferable to an Israeli invasion of Gaza.

"I don't think it'll last very long-term. It still looks like sooner or later we will have to go into Gaza in a big way, but it would be nice to try all possibilities that might allow us to avert that," said Freilich.

Still, after months of fighting, both sides seemed interested in a period of calm.

Israel wants to halt the incessant rocket and mortar attacks on its southern communities that have killed seven Israelis over the past year. Israeli reprisals have killed more than 400 Palestinians, many of them civilians, according to an Associated Press tally based on figures from hospital officials.

Israel also wants an end to Hamas arms smuggling into Gaza from Egypt, and the return of Cpl. Gilad Schalit, the Israeli soldier captured by Hamas-linked militants in a cross-border raid two years ago.

Hamas wants Israel to lift its crippling blockade of Gaza, which has led to widespread shortages of fuel, electricity and basic goods. Israeli imposed the sanctions after Hamas violently seized control of Gaza last year, and has tightened the blockade recently in response to increased rocket fire.

Gaza Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said all the armed factions in Gaza are on board with the truce. Speaking after another Hamas official outlined details of the truce at a news conference, Zahar said Hamas will not put down its weapons, because he did not believe Israel would implement the cease-fire. "We don't trust them, but let's see," he said.

[fixhist]

I think Jerusalem be declared as International city under UN control,
and over next 30Yrs UN should shift its head offices to occupied Territory of Palestine.

Any comments?

[galloglaigh]

For your info bletzmo I''m Irish/Cherokee and 95% of Jews don''t speak "Yiddish"
Posted by earth56 at 04:13 PM : Jun 18, 2008


Actually, "bletzmo," 22% of Jews worldwide DO speak Yiddish.

You must have pulled the "95%" out of your asss, just like you did with the word "bletzmo."

Why is it that a large number of "whites" in this country "claim" to be part Native American, with Cherokee being the favorite claim?

[midland666]

midland666..

LOL.......

remember to duck...

we want to entertain your nonesence...

[midland666]

earth56.

your home is Shandhoiz

[midland666]

earth56...

why did yuz guyz kill jayzus???

[midland666]

earth56 ...

doesnt surpise you think like this, after all youre probably sitting in a home whose land belonged to someone else...

typical.....

[midland666]

earth56...

pendejo i can see you dont know..
google it or do research.....

[midland666]

Adobe is a Building material made of clay and fibre.

[midland666]

earth56....

id love to see you set fire to Adobe!!!!

[noloyalisti]

Yes AIPAC must be abolished as terrorist aiders and abettors. Keep in mind how many of our elected politicians have puppet strings being pulled by the right wing Zionists. I like Obama more than McBush but he is also kissing up. Of course this is America, being governed by corporations and other right wing wackos.

[midland666]

In 1825, Mexican authorities became concerned with the actions of empresario Haden Edwards in Nacogdoches. Edwards had threatened to confiscate the land of any Mexican already living in the area in which he planned to bring settlers unless the Mexicans could present written deeds to the property. Mexican authorities promptly told him that he did not have the authority to confiscate land and he should honor the claims of the previous settlers. After multiple confrontations, on December 16, 1826, Edwards, his brothers, and 30 settlers issued a declaration of independence and called themselves the Republic of Fredonia. Other empresarios disassociated themselves from Edwards, and Austin sent 250 militiamen to Nacogdoches to help the Mexican forces quell the revolt. Edwards was finally forced to flee Mexican territory.

[pollroller1]

I made a statement " I wonder if we will return this country to the Native Americans from whom we took it"
And I got some interesting responses. I was just trying to make a point. You see our forefathers took this country from them. They killed hundreds of thousands of Native Americans,and then they killed all of the Buffalo so that they would starve. They also made them move to reservations where they couldn''t follow the way of life that they had lived for thousands of years. Bad, good, or indifferent that is part of the history of this country. Just one old man''s humble opinion.

[carpriddler]

Jimmy Carter made this truce possible. Brother Carter is a great Christian role model. I know most of you chicken hawk ethnocentrics would rather more fighting, and you will get your wish, but at the moment enjoy the peace.

[killtheliars]

Does anyone really think Israel will peacefully go along with an independant Palestinian state in Gaza? Even if Hamas were rendered impotent?
I can tell you why they won''t. Israel has long been concerned with the state of their economy. They rely on U.S. aid, shady banks and investment firms to keep their economy going. They have been trying for years to have pipelines built to their ports to act as an oil middleman (which they have no right to be) to become more independant of U.S. financial aid.
If Gaza becaomes independant all the wealthy middle eastern countries will pour investment money into Gaza. In addition the arab coutries will build pipelines to Gaza''s ports, therefore eliminating the chance of Israel getting any of that action.
Lets face it, Israel is in a part of the world where they have very little natural resources, and are not liked by their neighbors, therefore limiting the potential clients for their service industry (why do you think alot of the private firms in Iraq are Israeli instead of American).
I am not necessarly sympathetic to the Arabs, but Israel, helped by us in the U.S. is playing dirty pool to gain military and economic dominance using other peoples resources.

[lochlan-2009]

Here''''s how this plays: Hamas and Israel declare a cease fire but Israel reserves for itself the right to carry out "targeted assassination" (AKA murders). After about 3 weeks Israel launches strikes against suspected terrorists (and a few innocent men, women and children get splattered accidentally. "The Army is investigating.")and Hamas responds with rockets. The 3 inch headlines read "HAMAS FIRES ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL". Buried halfway inside the article, a line or two mentions that a few hours before the rocket attacks Israel killed a number of Palestinians (MOST of whom were militants. And of course, some of whom were not). You heard it here first. I''''ve watched this movie a half dozen times over the years. This is just the usual Israeli setup. They know exactly how this is going to go.

Posted by woozybarnes

That is 100% correct. Same sh*t different day.

[lovegetpeace]

Folks,
On May 15, 1948, the American President advocated the creation of the State of Israel in the heart of the Muslim Middle-East. 2 years later, 4.5 millions Palestinians were forced out of their homes and lands without compensation.

I am not going to say that this is Terrorism but I will say America is bleeding Treasury and blood because of one religious decision 60 years ago. This bleeding keeps exploding with our continue UnConditional Support to Israel. I cannot believe America cares much more about Israel than of ourselves.

2 weeks after 9/11, Osama Bin Ladin released his 1st video. In the video, he clearly listed the top 3 reasons for bombing the twin towers. The 1st reason was the US military base 60 miles from their Muslim''s holy Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The 2nd reason was the Palestine crisis. Now, Bush wants a State of Palestine. Osama is really winning BIG here.

On Osama Bin Ladin 2nd released video, Osama states that they will destroy America Economically and not Militarily. So far, Osama is really winning Big here.

According to our US State Department, Anti-Semitics is exploding around the world:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1334791720080314?feedType=RSSfeedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Personally, I blame only the Zionists inside Israel and America.

[haoli25]

I''ll bet the OVER and UNDER on this ploy.

[down-ndirty]

"Egypt has committed as part of the deal to stop the smuggling of arms and weapons into the Gaza Strip..."
________________________________

Brings back memories of the Iran-Iraq war when Reagan was providing arms to both sides so they could kill each other.

History repeats itself but we never learn from it.

And then there''s still Iran-supported Hezbollah...

I wish them luck and hope it works, but if history is an indicator then they will be fighting again soon.

[clestes-2009]

woozybarnes,

Maybe, but maybe not. The fundamentals of the game have changed significantly. The US is no longer acting like a big brother in the sandbox of the middle east. Israel is facing the fact that they are going to have to solve problems without relying on the US. The result might be completely different because of this wonderful fact.

I never thought I would approve the shrub administrations middle east policies, but ya'' know, now that shrub has so depleted our military, bankrupt the economy, trashed our reputation, GOOD things have happened. All other countries are ignoring the US and doing what they need to protect themselves and move forward.

The US has been nothing but a huge stumbling block to progress for 50 years and thanks to shrub it is no more.

Good job shrub! Your name WILL be link to peace in the middle east, only not as a player or negiotiator. It will be as a sidelined former player who is now a witness!

[midland666]

Ishreal needs peace for the next 6 months to Help Juan MacSame get elected....

then afterwards they will continue their apparteid..