.Hamas signals thaw; Israel sets up Gaza offensive
JERUSALEM (AP) - Gaza's ruling Hamas on Monday ordered militants to hold their fire for 24 hours and said a truce with Israel could be restored, but as rockets continued to fall, Israel signaled it was preparing for a possible offensive.
In an interview with Israel's Channel 10 TV, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar indicated that Hamas is interested in renewing the truce with Israel.
"The price is the lives of the Palestinian people," he said, demanding regular food and electricity supplies from Israel along with stopping Israeli military actions in the West Bank as well as Gaza.
Israel did not agree to halt operations in the West Bank under the truce, which expired Friday, and Israeli officials refused to comment on the interview.
Hamas said militants were told Monday to halt rocket fire for 24 hours to see if Israel would allow vital supplies to be shipped into Gaza.
Smaller factions that also attack Israel, including the Islamic Jihad, said they received no such order, and another Hamas official Ayman Taha, threatened a renewal of suicide bombings in Israel.
The Israeli military said three rockets were fired by nightfall, far fewer than in previous days, but military spokesman Maj. Peter Lerner said the cargo crossings remained sealed on Monday. Israel routinely seals its border with Gaza in response to rocket fire.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who brokered the initial truce, invited Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to Cairo on Thursday to discuss a new deal, Livni's office said.
Officials in her office said Livni was prepared to listen, but she would also complain about the hundreds of rockets and mortars that have been fired at Israel over the past month. The renewed attacks have stepped up pressure on the government to respond with force.
Israeli officials said the government has dispatched diplomats to win international sympathy for the plight of Israelis within range of militant fire - a reflection of the fact that most world attention has been focused on hardships in Gaza.
Since Hamas overran Gaza last year, Israel has severely limited shipments through its crossings with Gaza, and shortages are widespread. Israel accuses Hamas of manipulating supplies for propaganda purposes.
"People abroad perhaps do not understand the real distress of Israelis in the south who live with the rocket threat," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor. "Then you wake up in the morning with an Israeli response, and you don't understand where it came from."
The new diplomatic offensive sent an indirect message to Hamas that Israel is ready to act. Still, analysts believe both sides want to renew the truce, which held for five months before unraveling in November and ending formally on Friday.
Past incursions have not stopped the rocket fire, and an Israeli operation into Gaza's dense urban landscape would likely mean heavy casualties on both sides.
There is real concern in the military and the defense ministry about the price, and they are trying everything not to go into Gaza," said Reuven Pedatzur, a military analyst at Tel Aviv University.
But if a rockets kills a large number of Israelis, he said, "they won't have a choice."
Another factor influencing Israeli decision-making is a general election, set for Feb. 10. Barak and Livni are battling for the same centrist voters, and a failure to act might play into the hand of their main opponent, Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud, who favors stern and swift action in Gaza.
Late Monday in southern Gaza, a Hamas militant was killed and three others wounded when a shell they were carrying exploded accidentally, said Dr. Moaiya Hassanain, a Palestinian Health Ministry official.
While battling Hamas, Israel has been negotiating peace with Hamas' rival, President Mahmoud Abbas, who rules from the West Bank. Abbas was in Moscow on Monday to discuss the peace efforts with Russian leaders.
"We hope we will continue to cooperate productively, especially as the number of problems we are facing haven't become smaller," said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Russia is a member of the "Quartet" of international Mideast mediators. Unlike its Quartet partners, it has maintained ties with Hamas, potentially giving it influence as a mediator.
MyWay
In an interview with Israel's Channel 10 TV, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar indicated that Hamas is interested in renewing the truce with Israel.
"The price is the lives of the Palestinian people," he said, demanding regular food and electricity supplies from Israel along with stopping Israeli military actions in the West Bank as well as Gaza.
Israel did not agree to halt operations in the West Bank under the truce, which expired Friday, and Israeli officials refused to comment on the interview.
Hamas said militants were told Monday to halt rocket fire for 24 hours to see if Israel would allow vital supplies to be shipped into Gaza.
Smaller factions that also attack Israel, including the Islamic Jihad, said they received no such order, and another Hamas official Ayman Taha, threatened a renewal of suicide bombings in Israel.
The Israeli military said three rockets were fired by nightfall, far fewer than in previous days, but military spokesman Maj. Peter Lerner said the cargo crossings remained sealed on Monday. Israel routinely seals its border with Gaza in response to rocket fire.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who brokered the initial truce, invited Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to Cairo on Thursday to discuss a new deal, Livni's office said.
Officials in her office said Livni was prepared to listen, but she would also complain about the hundreds of rockets and mortars that have been fired at Israel over the past month. The renewed attacks have stepped up pressure on the government to respond with force.
Israeli officials said the government has dispatched diplomats to win international sympathy for the plight of Israelis within range of militant fire - a reflection of the fact that most world attention has been focused on hardships in Gaza.
Since Hamas overran Gaza last year, Israel has severely limited shipments through its crossings with Gaza, and shortages are widespread. Israel accuses Hamas of manipulating supplies for propaganda purposes.
"People abroad perhaps do not understand the real distress of Israelis in the south who live with the rocket threat," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor. "Then you wake up in the morning with an Israeli response, and you don't understand where it came from."
The new diplomatic offensive sent an indirect message to Hamas that Israel is ready to act. Still, analysts believe both sides want to renew the truce, which held for five months before unraveling in November and ending formally on Friday.
Past incursions have not stopped the rocket fire, and an Israeli operation into Gaza's dense urban landscape would likely mean heavy casualties on both sides.
There is real concern in the military and the defense ministry about the price, and they are trying everything not to go into Gaza," said Reuven Pedatzur, a military analyst at Tel Aviv University.
But if a rockets kills a large number of Israelis, he said, "they won't have a choice."
Another factor influencing Israeli decision-making is a general election, set for Feb. 10. Barak and Livni are battling for the same centrist voters, and a failure to act might play into the hand of their main opponent, Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud, who favors stern and swift action in Gaza.
Late Monday in southern Gaza, a Hamas militant was killed and three others wounded when a shell they were carrying exploded accidentally, said Dr. Moaiya Hassanain, a Palestinian Health Ministry official.
While battling Hamas, Israel has been negotiating peace with Hamas' rival, President Mahmoud Abbas, who rules from the West Bank. Abbas was in Moscow on Monday to discuss the peace efforts with Russian leaders.
"We hope we will continue to cooperate productively, especially as the number of problems we are facing haven't become smaller," said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Russia is a member of the "Quartet" of international Mideast mediators. Unlike its Quartet partners, it has maintained ties with Hamas, potentially giving it influence as a mediator.
MyWay
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