Palestinians accept new 72-hour cease-fire offer

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-EXCITE

By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH and KARIN LAUB

CAIRO (AP) — Palestinian negotiators in Cairo say they have accepted an Egyptian proposal for a new, three-day cease-fire with Israel.

The decision aims to clear the way for renewed negotiations with Israel on a long-term truce arrangement in the Gaza Strip.

The officials, representing various Palestinian factions, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing sensitive negotiations.

FULL short breaking story at link.



Palestinians try to salvage religion books from the Martyr Imam Hassan al-banna mosque in Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City, after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic)



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140810/ml--israel-palestinians-8f6b98b8ce.html

[840high]

1. How long will it last?

[riverwalker]

2. not accepted by Israel though

still bombing.

[oberliner]

10. Israel has accepted it

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire on Sunday, according to AFP.

[SnakeEyes]

14. What are you talking about?

srael was the first to accept and were waiting on Hamas

[ReRe]

3. Thanks for the news...

... Omaha Steve. My SAT has been out for a couple hours because of an enormous black thundercloud and accompanied downpour.

Wonder how long this cease-fire will last? Does Kerry even have anything to do with the negotiations anymore? Sounded like they pretty-much gave him the boot out of the process before the last cease-fire.

[RiverNoord]

4. Dammit - all Israel would have to do to end this

is end the damn blockade. They've created an open-air prison, a la 'Escape from New York', and Hamas is not led by fools. Israel has ensured that Gazans have nothing to lose, and under such conditions, you fight.

[COLGATE4]

5. I think that they might consider doing this, IF

there were some kind of reliable monitoring of what comes in. Otherwise, why would they ever agree to giving Hamas a green light to bring in more advanced firepower.

[melm00se]

6. Isn't Egypt

enforcing their own blockade to the south?

[Scootaloo]

11. As has been explained many times...

Israel and Egypt have a series of security agreements extending from the 1979 treaty that basically amounts to a real lack of Egyptian sovereignty over the Sinai, including Gaza's crossings - essentially if Israel makes a security demand about that area, Egypt is obligated to comply or is in violation of these agreements, which could follow through to a breach of treaty.

Basically, Israel has asked the Egypt border closed. Egypt closes the border.

since a big part of the '79 treaty is that so long as Egypt maintains it, it gets its own big chunk of US military subsidary, and sicne the guy who has taken over Egypt is still head of the military (wink wink nudge nudge), and so the checks fall right into his pocket... there's not likely to be any Egyptian defiance on this plan. Which is probably why the US and Israel were so vehemently opposed to Egyptian democracy and are now so supportive of a bloody-handed military despot.

[840high]

7. Egypt could end their blockade.

[backwoodsbob]

9. there was no blockade when they pulled out of Gaza

within hours of the last Israeli pulling out of Gaza rockets were being fired.
THAT is the cause of the blockade

[Scootaloo]

12. No, that's Israel's bullshit excuse for the blockade

Just as every single time they've been blowing up schools and hospitls full of refugees, their excuse has been "there was a guy! Honest!"

No, the blockade has nothing to do with rockets. it doesn't hamper rockets. it doesn't stop rockets, for certain. In fact it sort of does the opposite as it is a GREAT recruitment device for Hamas. No, the blockade is there to punish the Gazans, to make them suffer, out of spite for israel's self-evacuation. it serves no defensive measure, it's simply there to - as sen. Schumer chuckled, "Strangle the Arabs."

[SnakeEyes]

16. And yet they let aid in daily

Well except for when hamas fires rockets at the humanitrian aid crossing like they have been doing lately.

The blockade is reduce the weaponry and resources used to make war with israel going into gaza. If there was no blockade, this conflict would be much worse.

[Scootaloo]

22. And why is aid necessary, SnakeEyes?

You make it sound like the Palestinians should fall to their knees in gratitude for Israel allowing a bare trickle of resources, subject to Israel's whim, into the territory. Even though the reason for their need is Israel's policy of blockade against them.

I swear your argument looks no different from an abusive relationship. Where the victim should be GRATEFUL when he allows her contact with the outside world, where she should praise him for not beating her today, where his allowance of a phone call should be met with eternal indebtedness... and if not, well, more punches. more destruction, more privation until the abused acceded to bow and scrape like the abuser wants them to. For today.

You realize that the blockade is the primary cause of the current conflict. Further, that the blockade would not be necessary if Israel had not abandoned its obligations as occupier? Which in turn would not have been an issue if Israel were not occupying palestine? Which, amazingly, would not be an issue of Israel had not invaded Palestine - take your pick of which of those invasions you want referenced there, they all apply.

[SnakeEyes]

23. The blockade exists

Because Palestinian groups are trying to kill them.

[Scootaloo]

25. Again, no, it doesn't

The blockade is mass punishment against the populace of gaza. Nothing more.

[SnakeEyes]

26. FACT: yes it does

Stop denying reality and perhaps you may gain a foothold in persuading people to accept even a portion of your opinion

And it just happened to begin after the terrorist organization Hamas took over Gaza. What a coincidence. If they wanted to punish the populace of Gaza in mass they could have done it much better by not allowing aid through, killing way more than ~2K people, using ground forces in Gaza this entire time, that wouldn't have pulled out of Gaza in 2005 and destroyed Israeli settlements while leaving.

[RiverNoord]

20. You're always a refreshing voice of reason around these parts :-)

The blockade only works against the stated aims of 'peace,' since weapons will always be smuggled in, one way or another, as long as there are people desperate enough to fight. It is, however, very difficult to smuggle large shipments of food or goods, either in or out. It's only common sense - Israel wants enemies in Gaza and the West Bank so that they can justify their exceptionally illegal theft of land in those regions.

And a modern Israel without enemies that it can sell to the world as existential threats to its existence would be socially cast adrift. It's always been surrounded by 'enemies,' or so the narrative goes. What happens to the power elite when they become just another country at peace?

[hack89]

13. How do you keep the weapons out?

Once that is solve and Hamas accepts it the blockade can be lifted.

[RiverNoord]

18. And they're being kept out now?

Ultimately, Israel will never disarm people living under their domination, occupied and in a condition of statelessness. First you lift the blockade, which keeps EVERYTHING out and makes it virtually impossible for Gazans to live within the context of a viable economy. Then you learn how to make real concessions so that you can have the peace that you supposedly want.

Weapons will always get to an oppressed people who have the active support of nations and private parties willing to provide them. The blockade is purely punitive, severely illegal under international law, and can only do one thing - keep people desperate. Desperate people will fight.

[hack89]

19. If they insist on fighting

Then it is in the best interest of all concerned that they don't acquire more powerful weapons. When they learn that Israel will not negotiate while being attacked is when peace becomes possible.

[RiverNoord]

21. 'learn that Israel will not negotiate while being attacked?'

That's awfully lopsided, don't you think? If the army of another country was backing up bulldozers that destroyed your home and the homes of your friends and family, in order to give the land to armed citizens of the country, and with no compensation of any kind, are you not being attacked? According to your logic, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank should never negotiate with Israel anything until the annexation ends. The Israeli leadership are savvy enough to understand this, but they sell a line of exceptional BS to people like you who actually buy it.

This fight isn't about any sort of peace for Israel. It's about KEEPING an enemy like Hamas radicalized, which will never be even a slight military match for Israel, so that the world, especially the U.S., doesn't come down hard on its continued exceptionally illegal routine annexation of occupied land.

Modern war is seldom about just plain defeating the other side. There are so many more sophisticated uses of it, and Israel is one of the masters.

[SnakeEyes]

15. The blockade ends

And Hamas rearms with much better weapons.

[Unvanguard]

8. How about a 72-century cease-fire?

Coupled with a 72-century agreement to recognize each other's rights to self-determination and to stop interfering with each other's economic life?

Don't worry, you can continue the conflict in August 9214!

[Uncle Joe]

17. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Omaha Steve.

[Owl]

24. A cease fire on all sides would sure be nice. Permanent one that is.