As Gaza cease-fire ends, Hamas and Israel meet on possible truce in Cairo
A UN-brokered temporary cease-fire today in Gaza allowed Palestinians to get supplies and money. Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinian officials were in Egypt to discuss a longer-term agreement.
A UN-brokered temporary cease-fire today in Gaza allowed Palestinians to get supplies and money. Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinian officials were in Egypt to discuss a longer-term agreement.
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Representatives of Israel and Hamas, the Islamic group that controls Gaza, are in Cairo today trying to work out the details of a possible long-term cease-fire. But the prospects of a breakthrough looked low, with Palestinian and Israeli officials both denying a BBC report, citing an unnamed source, that there had been such a development.
Earlier today, a brief UN-requested cease-fire was violated by mortar fire from Gaza. The quick turn to violence generated concern that Israel could look to ground operations if a more lasting agreement wasn't reached soon.
More than 200 people 鈥� mostly civilians 鈥� have died in the past week and a half. All but one of the casualities have been Palestinian.
The cease-fire, which began at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. EST) and was set to run for five hours, was intended to allow Palestinians an opportunity to go to hospitals, stock up on food, or visit banks, which were to open for the first time in two weeks. Less than three hours passed before sirens sounded and mortars landed in southern Israel, according to Reuters.聽
A cease-fire proposed by Egypt and Israel earlier this week wasn't acceptable to Hamas, which wasn't included in the discussion. 海角大神 reported that Israel delivered Hamas 鈥渁 diplomatic blow鈥� by agreeing to the Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire.
Hamas鈥檚 conditions for a cease-fire include Israel and Egypt ending border restrictions that impose economic hardship on Palestinians in Gaza and make it difficult for Hamas to pay government employees, Reuters reports. The group also demands an end to Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, and the release of Hamas members detained by Israel over the past month. Israel hasn't signaled any willingness to meet these demands.
A senior Israeli military official said Israel was increasingly looking toward a ground invasion of Gaza, according to The New York Times. Only 鈥渂oots on the ground鈥� could end rocket fire from Gaza, the official said.
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