Well at least for a while.
A spokesman for Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza, confirmed that all militant factions in the Palestinian territory had agreed to suspend violence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the agreement.
Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian factions would travel to Cairo immediately for negotiations aimed at building the cease-fire into a more lasting truce, the U.S. and U.N. said.
During the pause, Israel won’t pull back its forces inside Gaza
Hamas has either run low on rockets or they have no more stomach for getting pounded.
And for those of you too young to get the cultural reference: No Mas.
Update: 1 August 2014 1201z
Looks like the while only lasted two hours.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas broke out Friday, hours after a three-day cease-fire took effect that was intended as a first step toward a lasting peace.
The seventy-two hour truce lasted about two hours.
One Gaza Arab said:
All hoped the ceasefire would hold. “This is the worst and the hardest war i have seen,” said Seehan Nassr, 42. “God willing now it will be peaceful.”
But about 11am, we could hear small arms fire and see what appeared to be strikes from artillery or tank fire around the town’s edges a few hundred metres from where we were. In Shujaiya, to the east of Gaza city, the situation and sentiments were similar.
Israel says rocket fire by the Arabs in Gaza broke the truce.
A “humanitarian ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas has broken Friday, after Hamas fired yet another salvo of rockets on Israel despite the bilateral truce.
Heavy fighting has now broken out between Israel and Hamas in southern Gaza, according to Palestinian sources, who also claim that eight terrorists have been killed since 10:00 am.
Rocket fire from Hamas and Islamic Jihad has resumed.
Mortar shells have been fired in the Eshkol region; no injuries were reported, but a brushfire started and is spreading. Firefighting teams are working to stymie the blaze.
The Iron Dome missile defense system also shot down two rockets over Ofakim Friday afternoon.
“Once again the terror organizations in Gaza flagrantly violating the ceasefire to which they committed themselves, this time to the US Secretary of State and the UN Secretary General,” a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said, without pointing to a specific incident.
And it looks like the fighting could go on for quite a while longer. Hamas or militants or criminals have captured an Israeli soldier.
Haaretz’s Anshel Pfeffer links the shelling in southern Gaza to the apparent capture of an Israeli soldier.
Anshel Pfeffer @AnshelPfeffer
This is no longer an IDF operation against the #Hamas tunnels. It’s a captive recovery operation and there’s no limits to that #Gaza #Israel
10:49 AM – 1 Aug 2014
And that is part of the reason the blockade of Gaza has lasted 7 years. The Egyptians are not happy with Hamas either.
The logic behind Egypt’s shift is pretty obvious. For Sissi and those who support them, the Islamists in Hamas are just a little too similar to the those in the Muslim Brotherhood, the people they only recently forced from power and banned. What’s really remarkable, as noted by Kirkpatrick at the Times Thursday is that this distrust of such Islamist groups isn’t confined to Egypt either: We’re seeing similar things in Jordan and Saudi Arabia too.
More links and video at the link.
Comments
6 responses to “Hamas Says No Mas”
The following is from Sam Harris’ blog. It might be of interest to CV readers. It’s the last two paragraphs from the link below:
I think Mr. Harris sums up the situation fairly well.
http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/why-dont-i-criticize-israel
blockquote error above…. my bad.
I’ll fix it. Thanks for the heads up.
Hamas Says No Más
For about 90 minutes.
I am reminded of Camilo Sesto’s big hit- at least in the Spanish speaking world- from the ’70s, titled Jamás. Which means “never” in Spanish. And which also sounds very much like Hamas. Very appropriate. When will Hamas recognize Israel? Jamás. Never. Yes indeed.
The song basically riffs on “I will never stop loving you.”
This a contest between the corrupt netanayhu(google netanayhu crook) and the children of gaza to see who is tougher! who can take it and come back for more saying that all you got netanayhu we are ready for more! Pay egypt to take it over and control it. Let egypts soldiers and police deal with hamas.
Unanswered questions for captain arizona on Gaza: take three.
captain arizona [boldface]
How about topic bring peace to gaza?
Please inform us how all that tunneling brings peace to Gaza.
Inquiring minds want to know.
This will be a contest between the corrupt netanayhu and the children of gaza.
Where would you rather live, in Gaza under Hamas rule, or in Israel under Netanyahu’s rule?
Inquiring minds want to know.
A further question [take two]: how does one achieve peace when the Israel’s goal is the survival of the state of Israel, and Hamas’s goal is the elimination of the state of Israel?
Like you, I would be glad for Egypt to take over Gaza, but the problem here is that Egypt doesn’t want to.
Additional questions:
This will be a contest between the corrupt netanayhu and the children of gaza.
160 Children Died in Digging Hamas Tunnels . What say you about children dying during the construction of the Hamas tunnels?
Inquiring minds want to know.
It is well and good to denounce Netanyahu for corruption, but it appears your concern is a bit one-sided. When you denounce Netanyahu for corruption, why do you not also denounce Hamas for ITS corruption? [Not to mention corruption of the PA…]
Inquiring minds want to know.
I also note that I answered your questions quickly. Are you afraid to answer my questions?