Hamas Calls Three-Month Halt To Suicide Bombings

Independent (UK) ^ | 6-28-2003 | Justin Huggler

[blam]

Hamas calls three-month halt to suicide bombings

By Justin Huggler, in Jerusalem
28 June 2003

The Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have agreed to halt all suicide bombings and other attacks on Israelis in a three-month ceasefire, senior leaders from the groups said yesterday.

If the ceasefire holds, it could bring an end to almost three years of bloodshed and allow President George Bush's road-map peace plan to progress.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority also agreed a deal under which Israeli troops will withdraw from parts of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian security forces will resume control, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.The withdrawal could start on Monday.Condoleezza Rice, the US National Security Adviser, is expected to arrive for talks today.

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Hamas's spiritual leader, said: "Hamas has studied all the developments and has reached a decision to call a truce, or a suspension of fighting activities."

Abu Mazen, the Palestinian Prime Minister, has been negotiating a ceasefire as a first step to fulfilling his pledge at the Aqaba summit to "end the armed intifada".

But Israeli officials dismissed the ceasefire. An unnamed "senior government source" was quoted as saying the ceasefire was "not worth the paper it was written on". Israel has claimed the militants will use a ceasefire to regroup.

David Faranga, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, said: "In our opinion, a cease-fire will not help. What is needed is the dismantling of the terrorist infrastructure."

Under the deal Israeli soldiers will withdraw from areas of Gaza they reoccupied and the main north-south highway in the Gaza Strip is to be reopened gradually to Palestinian traffic. Talks are continuing to reach a similar deal in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

The smaller Islamic Jihad group is "inclined towards calm", Mohammed al-Hindi, its leader in the Gaza Strip, said yesterday. "We are in a dialogue with other Palestinian factions and preparing a joint paper."

A third militant faction, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, is expected to join the ceasefire.

[ghost of nixon]

I believe the Hamas leaders are looking at this as more of a way to get a 3-month extension of their lives as opposed to a 3-month cease-fire agreement.

[DoughtyOne]

I have placed this in my browser bookmarks. I want to be able to find it in a few weeks.

[MEG33]

Bush says they must be dismantled.We don't need no stinkin cease fire and then start fire.

[Cold Heat]

I'll keep my fingers crossed one more time.

Many are opposed to this because they may use the time to re-arm.

With the support structure largely cut from underneath them, I see that as unlikely.(watch Kadaffi)

A cease fire is necessary in any attempt to settle this mess in any case.

[CaptainJustice]

How gracious of them

[rickmichaels]

The Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have agreed to halt all suicide bombings and other attacks...

So begins a three-month-long martyrdom recruitment campaign.

[MEG33]

I'd forgotten that he's helping .I have hope because I must but it's very shaky hope.

[Bobby777]

Hamas Calls Three-Month Halt To Suicide Bombings

man, they are sooooooooooooooo reasonable ... let's have them over for tea and crumpets ... perhaps some croquet afterwards ...

[Hinoki Cypress]

Why do I have trouble believeing any of this crap. I give them 24hrs before another homicide bombing, based upon their past record.

[DoughtyOne]

Agreed. "Wow, we stopped shooting you, now gimmie gimmie gimmie." Israel has just as much right to say, "We stopped hitting your cars and homes with missiles, now gimmie gimmie gimmie." I guess we know how far that would get.

Israel will go through the motions again, and the result will be more dead Israelis, the bar moved even higher so that the next time Israel will be demanded to do more.

This is it for me. If the Palies and their flying monkies throw this opportunity away, Israel has my permission to toss the Palis out on the other side of the Jordan river, NEVER TO RETURN.

Kofi can cry me a river if he doesn't like it.

[Diogenesis]

Even if Hamas-alpha agrees, Hamas-beta will then begin killing.

No quarter to serial murderers.

[Cold Heat]

My optimism stems from the now missing support from Iraq. It was a bunch.

Also iran seems a bit more inclined to ignore them for a while.

Libya is still a problem. Syria is still a problem but is being mitigated by the huge pressure on Hamas.

[MEG33]

I hate being old enough to be realistic!

[FractalSphere]

This is a nice 3 month orginization and planning period for them. Perfect since the PA is supposed to take over security (ha!) responsobilities (haha!) in Gaza and other places. We'll see what happens.

[Alouette]

Allah must have run clean out of virgins.

[DoughtyOne]

Well things aren't a rosey, but at least you know where you stand.

[XBob]

2 - It seems like our presidents plan for Afghanistan works a lot better than our plan for our secretary of state's plan - give them more time - works a lot better.

Keep blowing up all Hamas leaders, until they call for a cease fire, not until they aquiese to one.

[Turbodog]

What happens at the end of three months after they have regrouped and rearmed? Kill those SOBs now! While you're at it, take out Arafat and Abu Mazen too! It's all big charade, they're all in it togthers.

[ChadGore]

This has as much weight as a feather on the moon.