So killing Hamas militants who try every day to murder Israeli civilians is a sign that Sharon doesn't want peace? Okay... Let me ask you something- do you think Hamas should be destroyed, be it by the Palestinians or the Israelis?
Well at least there trying, but it may be to little to late. Hamas Says It Decided to Suspend Attacks on Israelis GAZA (Reuters) - The Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Friday it had decided to suspend attacks on Israelis, a move that could give a significant boost to a U.S.-backed peace "road map" battered by violence. "Hamas has studied all the developments and has reached a decision to call a truce, or a suspension of fighting activities," Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin told Reuters. He said the cease-fire carried conditions and a timeframe but declined to give details or indicate when a truce would be announced. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction, has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings. "We are still in contact with the rest of the factions in order to reach a joint formula to be signed by everybody," Yassin said, referring to groups such as Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of the mainstream Fatah (news - web sites) movement. There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has been cool to a temporary truce, saying a cease-fire would allow militants, spearheading a 33-month-old uprising for statehood and targeted by "track-and-kill" operations, to regroup. The United States has also called on Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who has been negotiating a truce deal with militant groups in a bid to avoid possible civil war, to dismantle them under terms of the road map. Mohammed al-Hindi, a senior Islamic Jihad leader, said his group had finalized its decision regarding a truce and it was "inclined toward calm." "We are in a dialogue with other Palestinian factions and preparing a joint paper," he said. "In a few days, this joint paper will be finalized and also reflect our position." DISENGAGEMENT TALKS MAKE PROGRESS On a parallel track, Israeli and Palestinian Authority (news - web sites) officials said they were nearing a deal on a pullback of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) and West Bank city of Bethlehem. A new round of security talks got under way on Friday. Israeli security sources said that under a crystallizing deal, Palestinian authorities had committed to reining in militants, halting arms smuggling and stopping incitement to violence in schools and media. "In all areas where Palestinians take (such) responsibility, Israel will not operate there," said one source, referring to army raids, round-ups and killings of wanted men that militants had angrily cited in hesitating to declare a truce. Palestinian officials earlier reported "remarkable progress" in the last round of talks late on Thursday between Palestinian Security Minister Mohammed Dahlan and Major General Amos Gilad, Israel's coordinator in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. In their latest raid against Hamas militants, Israeli troops swooped on the Gaza home of Adnan al-Ghoul, a reputed Hamas master bombmaker. His 15-year-old son and 21-year-old nephew, both militants, were killed as well as an operative of the Islamic Jihad faction, a civilian in a nearby house and an Israeli soldier. Ghoul, who was not at home, escaped a similar operation last year that killed another son. An Israeli army statement said Ghoul was not the target of Friday's raid, which was aimed at "the Ghoul squad, planning several attacks" on Israelis. U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) was due in the region on Saturday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on moving ahead with the road map, which envisages the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.
Okay, raise your hand if you really believe this. This is Hamas we are talking about, not the normal Palestinian leadership which includes Abbas.
Even Hamas realizes how low the world opinion Israel's actions are, and they are making a PR move---I think this is pretty obvious with the timing. All we can do is sit back and see what happens, and hope that Israel will end their attacks--along with Palestinian militant organizations. Israel needs to take this opportunity and end their large scale gunship attacks etc. All we can really do is hope there isn't another suicide bombing that continues the cycle.
How long do you think militant organizations will abide by the cease-fire before they resume their well known plans to destroy Israel? Either Abbas has to take them out, or Israel will. And I have yet to see an indication that Abbas will.
They do need to be stopped. I agree on that. But I don't think Israel will succeed in taking them out. I do think brutal attacks on Hamas with little concern for collateral damage will only serve to increase the number of people willing to participate in the terrorist activities of Hamas. Israel's policy has not been successful so far, why should they continue it?
A positive sign Israel is pulling out troops-- GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip, June 27 — The Palestinian militant group Hamas said Friday that it had decided to suspend its attacks on Israelis, a key element for carrying out the U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan. Israeli officials dismissed the truce, but shortly thereafter, the government agreed to end its attempts to assassinate militant leaders and turn over responsibility for security in Gaza and the West Bank to Palestinian authorities, Israel television reported. THE TROOP PULLBACK could not immediately be confirmed through official channels, but state-owned Channel One television, monitored by NBC News, said Israeli troops could start withdrawing from the two areas as early as Monday. A troop pullback would be the first major step by Israel toward implementing the peace plan, which calls on Israel to return to positions it held before the outbreak of fighting in September 2000. The plan would also require Palestinian security forces to dismantle militias, but Palestinian leaders have said they will not launch a crackdown. Under terms of the agreement, Israel would suspend its campaign to kill militant leaders and turn over responsibility for security in the disputed areas to Mohammed Dahlan, the Palestinian Authority’s security minister. Dahlan and Maj.-Gen. Amos Gilad, Israel’s coordinator of government activities in the territories, resolved the key sticking point, control over the main north-south road in Gaza, early Friday morning and concluded the deal later in the day, a Palestinian official said. http://www.msnbc.com/news/801833.asp?0cv=CA01
I have seen positive signs throughout the process. Any plan that angers Israeli Settlers, and Hamas both, is probably heading in the right direction.
If the Arab terrorists can honor their 3 month truce, I think we will see Sharon recalled and a moderate Israeli PM put in place. It is too bad Arafat wasn't exiled, because with Likud AND Arafat on the sidelines, peace would be a probability. With Arafat lurking in the shadows and playing puppeteer though, I am not that optimistic.
