Hamas - Israel Truce Set

The Following Article appeared on France24 today. It has been reported in other sources as well, but I am providing this link as there is a video option as well:

Hamas confirms truce with Israel in Gaza
Israel and Palestinian militant groups including the Islamist Hamas movement which controls Gaza have agreed to a truce in and around the territory, the deal's Egyptian mediators said Tuesday.
The first phase of the ceasefire, which is the fruit of months of tough negotiations, will go into effect from 0300 GMT on Thursday, a senior Egyptian official told state media.
"The Palestinian and Israeli sides have accepted the first stage of a reciprocal and simultaneous period of calm, starting in the Gaza Strip, from 6 am on Thursday," the official MENA news agency quoted the official as saying.

The France24 link with complete article and online video

Egypt has been working to broker this truce for quite some time now. Do you think it has a chance of beginning real negotiations between these parties?

Comments: 7

Gene L. Jun 18, 2008, 3:07pm EDT

Perhaps... but the real problem is that none of the Arab counrties want Israel there... they don't want Israel even to exist at all anywhere. So peace is unlikely to last. While some Arab people may tolerate it, there are many non-conforming Arab groups that won't. It's a tough situation, and I pray for peace over there... but I'm afraid it will never be a lasting peace.

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micky d. Jun 18, 2008, 4:19pm EDT

PEACE ONLY COMES AFTER SOMEONE WINS. Israel is going to win-but when?If the shoe were on the other foot and the arabs were the small state, surrounded by people who hate them and want to wipe them off the map and the small state arabs had the nuke they would use it, i'm sure. Israel so far refuses to do such a thing.If Iran gets a nuke that may have to change.

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Rodney R. Jun 18, 2008, 5:20pm EDT

maybe

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Debra C. Jun 18, 2008, 5:48pm EDT

Gene L. - There is a long history, agreed. The lack of sensitivity to historic borders at the partitioning of the Balfour Accords didn't help either.

Still, we have to give Egypt credit for trying.

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Debra C. Jun 18, 2008, 5:51pm EDT

Mickey D, - I sincerely hope Israel doesn't start using its nukes. It just seems a shame that winning always seems to be defined as "the one who annihilates, trounces, subjugates, or obliterates the other".

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Gene L. Jun 18, 2008, 6:10pm EDT

Debra C: I do give Egypt credit... I just hope they are doing this for the right reasons. I tend to be a little suspicious of things in that part of the world. But I do hope for the best there. I am tired of hearing about bombings and missile attacks... I'm tired of all the hate... Sadly, it really is a historical fact that peace only comes after someone wins, and with that there is always a loser.

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Debra C. Jun 18, 2008, 8:59pm EDT

After the barrier was broken and there was an Exodus from Gaza into Egypt a few months ago, Mubarak has a reason to want some calm in the Palestinian situation ... Egypt is not in a position to support a refugee exodus from Gaza.

Gene - I'm not disagreeing that there are generally winners and losers, you're right. But if there could be a reasonable period of calm it would allow both sides to choose leaders rationally rather than jumping toward the one that most recognized their fears and spoke a "solution" that met their vanity.

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Hamas - Israel Truce Set

Comments: 7

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