http://www.arabnews.com/services/print/print.asp?artid=106837&d=16&m=2&y=2008&hl='Hamas%20Ready%20to%20Discuss%20Truce%20With%20Israeli%20Govt'
The Middle East's Leading English Language Daily
Saturday 16 February 2008 (09 Safar 1429)
'Hamas Ready to Discuss Truce With Israeli Govt'
Reuters -
GAZA CITY - Hamas said yesterday it has told Egyptian officials it
would consider a cease-fire with Israel if it lifted its blockade of the Gaza
Strip and ceased military operations in all Palestinian territories. Hamas also
discussed with Egyptian officials this week the possibility of a prisoner deal
that could lead to the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, seized by Hamas
in a 2006 raid, in exchange for Israel freeing several hundreds of Palestinians
from its jails, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said.
Sources close to Hamas said Egypt, which brokered a yearlong truce
between the Islamist group and Israel in 2005, had wanted to explore Hamas'
position before holding any possible talks with Israel. Leading Hamas member
Mahmoud Al-Zahar traveled to Egypt on Thursday to resume talks with the
Egyptian government about the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, which
Hamas militants smashed open last month seeking relief from an Israeli blockade.
"Hamas said it has no objection to studying the issue if the
Israeli occupation would stop all forms of aggression against our people and
lift the siege," Abu Zuhri said, reiterating Hamas' position on a possible
cease-fire. Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June after routing the
forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' secular Fatah forces. Israel,
which is pursuing peace talks with Abbas, has since tightened sanctions on Gaza.
Palestinian militants blasted open the Rafah border wall with Egypt
last month allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to pour into Egyptian
north Sinai to stock up on goods in short supply due to the Israeli-led
blockade. The holes were closed several days later following Hamas-Egypt talks.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Malki accused Israel
yesterday of failing to meet commitments made at peace talks relaunched at a
US-hosted conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November. Malki, who also
called for international pressure on Israel, said "nothing has happened" since
the peace talks.
"Israel maintained its policies and actions on the ground as if
nothing really happened... We cannot allow Israel to behave the way it behaves,
action has to be taken and international intervention has to be made," he said
in a speech to Palestinian ambassadors to European capitals. He was speaking in
Ankara where he is holding talks with Turkish officials.
Palestinian leaders have voiced frustration at what they call
Israel's failure to keep its commitments to freeze Jewish settlement activity
and to ease checkpoints that limit Palestinian mobility in the West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas agreed in Annapolis to begin talks
aimed at reaching a peace deal by the end of 2008. They also agreed to abide by
a 2003 US-backed "road map" peace plan, under which Palestinians must rein in
militants and Israel, among other things, must cease settlements activity.
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