Gilad Delays Egypt Visit; Hamas Delivers Reservations

Mohamad Shmaysani Readers Number : 101

12/01/2009 Israel's envoy for Gaza ceasefire talks, Amos Gilad, will not travel to Egypt on Monday as planned. Gilad told Ynet that "at the moment is seems I'm not leaving for Cairo, but that doesn't matter since I stay in close touch with Egypt." Israeli radio said Gilad's visit had been postponed by the Israeli leadership as a way to put pressure on Hamas.

"Israel has no intention to decrease the pressure on Hamas," Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.

Besides pressure by killing 900 Palestinians so far, pressure by massing soldiers in open areas in Gaza without apparent ability to infiltrate 10 days after the start of the ground offensive, pressure by the IAF, the navy, the Shin Bet and the ground forces, and the diplomatic effort, what’s next? Olmert wants Hamas to do what? Stop the fighting perhaps? What’s happening in Gaza cannot be described as a firefight that ends with a ceasefire. Israel has massacred 900 Palestinians and devastated the Strip and Hamas is simply retaliating with rocket fire at Israeli communities.

What if the efforts are being made to salvage Israel from the historic quagmire of Gaza?

Late Sunday Israel sent reserve troops into Gaza in what Israeli media said could be a sign of intensifying operations.

Earlier, Israeli reports said that the military command is vexed by the indecisiveness of the political command; either storm in or end the operation, they say.
Hamas and other resistance groups have not stopped firing rockets and their ranges are 12km short from Tel Aviv. The media in Israel reflects the prevailing atmosphere of frustration;

“The world must be wondering, 17 days into Operation Cast Lead, why it is taking so long for Jerusalem to cave into pressure for a cease-fire in Gaza. From the UN Security Council, that renowned bastion of international probity, and the constellation of Muslim, Arab and non-aligned states to our unwavering European allies, the international community - and much of the media - wants Israel to stop fighting,” The Jerusalem Post Editorial said.

Ten days into the ground offensive, phase 3 of the operation lingers; operations in densely populated areas will cost the Israel army dearly, they say.

Olmert who lost the Second Lebanon War in 2006 is however optimistic. He believes Israel can reach an understanding with Egypt over Gaza.

Cairo said that it had held positive talks with the Hamas delegation, saying they agreed "on the importance of stopping the shedding of Palestinian blood as soon as possible."

The Egyptian three-point plan calls for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, talks on opening Gaza's border crossings and taking steps to prevent arms smuggling, and re-launching Palestinian reconciliation efforts.

Osama Hamdan, Hamas's representative in Lebanon, confirmed to Al-Jazeera television that "there was some progress on some points" of the proposal. "We reject parts of this proposal but that does not mean rejection of the entire proposal," he added.
Clearly, there are Palestinian reservations on sensitive issues.

Hamas rejects a partial settlement to the Gaza question including the deployment of international forces in the Strip, a lasting calm down with Israel, a change of the status quo of the resistance in Gaza and the handing over the Strip’s administration to the PA. Hamas also wants the embargo be lifted.

Hamas’s stance is undoubtedly based on solid grounds.

To show more strength, Hamas chose its delegation to Egypt from leaders inside Gaza, to rebut allegations that the Hamas leadership inside and outside Gaza have contradicting opinions.

ISRAEL IS ALL ALONE

Israel is accusing Europe of abandoning it.

“Your failure to fight a war that is televised live, 24/7, without spilling blood has enraged the Arab street. We don't want this fury turned against our interests in the Middle East," the Europeans told Israel according to a JPost article.

“Israel would have preferred to act with the support of those who claim to back our right to self-defense. In a cynical world, Israel must press ahead without it.”

“Neither punishment, nor a cease-fire that extends the embargo will make them accept the loss of their property, 60 years of displacement, or life in squalid refugee camps,” the article read.
“Having abandoned Israel as it defends itself against a transparently fanatical…Israel will be mindful of how much their support is worth when the time comes to "take risks for peace" in the West Bank,” the article concluded.