Israel Rejects Militant's [sic] Peace Offer
Well that sort of belies the Israeli claim they're only defending themselves now doesn't it? Maybe the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) should change their name to IOF (Israeli Offensive Forces). Seems more accurate, what with this and what happened in Lebanon.
The Palestinian prime minister said militants were prepared to stop barraging Israel with rockets if Israel would halt all military action in Palestinian territories.
Israel rejected the offer as lopsided, and said it would respond positively only to a total truce.
Similar proposals in the past have failed to curb fighting, and a spokesman for the ruling Hamas group quickly stepped back from the cease-fire talk, which came as fighting between militants and Israeli troops in Gaza claimed the lives of a 10-year-old Palestinian boy and a militant filming the clashes.
A third Palestinian died yesterday of wounds sustained in earlier violence. It wasn’t immediately known whether he was a militant or civilian.
Israeli launched a military campaign in Gaza five months ago, in an unsuccessful attempt to curb militant rocket fire on Israeli border communities.
Prime minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said armed factions had agreed a day earlier to halt rocket fire in exchange for a complete cessation of Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
“The ball now is in the Israeli court,” Haniyeh said. “It (Israel) must stop its aggression and escalation against the Palestinian people, then there will be no problem according to what the factions agreed in their last meeting.”
Haniyeh was scheduled to meet faction leaders again later today, and the sides hoped to draw up a written truce proposal, officials said. [emphasis mine]
(read more)
posted by SPIIDERWEB™ at 11/25/2006 06:23:00 PM
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6 Comments:
Did you notice that Haniyah only offered to stop the Kassam rocket shellings. He specifically stated that Hamas would still employ other means of terrorism, including shootings, kidnappings and suicide bombings.
And you think that this is a "peace" offering to Israel?
What he didn't say was where. Israel wants to stop the shellings into Israel and that, supposedly, would happen.
The other terrorism acts would probably take place in Gaza, but those would stop too if the IDF were not there.
Besides, nothing precludes IDF from re-entering Gaza if attacks in Israel continued.
I'm saying its just a start.
So there is a ceasefire now despite Palestian violations. Maybe you can stop trashing the Israelis for a day.
Sorry if I come off as anti-Israeli. I'm really anti-aggressor. I condem the Palsitinians when they are aggressors.
Yes, Israel is showing admirable restraint in not retaliating. I applaude them for that.
I just don't think these two militant groups can be stopped by the Palistinians and Israel is quite justified to re-enter Gaza. I just hoped it wouldn't come to that.
I think you need to understand the politics and mindset in that region. For some laying down arms is not option. I don't agree with it. Thats just the reality.
Unfortunately, I do understand. It isn't the politics so much as the culture. This is the 3rd generation (at least) now who have known nothing but violence and killing. I have no idea how such a culture can be turned around to believe peace is better.
But I'm always hopeful enough of them will think getting up in the morning without worrying about being killed is superior to what they have now.
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