Hamas truce should be examined: Israeli official
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
JERUSALEM, Sept 17 (AFP): Israel's deputy defence minister said on Monday the government should study the possibility of a truce with the Hamas movement ruling the Gaza Strip, provided rocket fire from the territory stops.
"All propositions for a ceasefire must be examined, but it cannot be taken under consideration as long as Hamas does not stop rocket fire against Israel," Matan Vilnai told public radio.
"A test period of a week to two weeks" is needed, he said.
The comments came a day after Hamas indirectly suggested that the Islamist movement and Israel could resume a truce in the Gaza Strip.
"The government confirms that it is implementing decisions of the unity government, especially the truce between the two sides," Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu said in a statement.
He was referring to a ceasefire between the Israeli army and Gaza militants that has been in tatters since mid-May, just before Hamas's bloody takeover of Gaza in June.
The Islamist movement issued the statement "because we are in the middle of Ramadan and we want to give the Palestinians a chance to live in peace, reopen the crossings and end the siege," Nunu told AFP.
Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin rejected the statement as "ridiculous," saying "there is no question of striking any ceasefire deal with them (Hamas). They are a terrorist organisation recognised as such by the international community that took power as a result of a putsch."
On Thursday Hamas called on Palestinian militant groups to stop firing rockets at border crossings between Gaza and Israel.
The takeover of Gaza sank the Palestinian unity cabinet and split the Palestinians into two entities, with the Western-shunned Islamists ruling Gaza and the Western-backed moderate president Mahmud Abbas based in the West Bank.
"All propositions for a ceasefire must be examined, but it cannot be taken under consideration as long as Hamas does not stop rocket fire against Israel," Matan Vilnai told public radio.
"A test period of a week to two weeks" is needed, he said.
The comments came a day after Hamas indirectly suggested that the Islamist movement and Israel could resume a truce in the Gaza Strip.
"The government confirms that it is implementing decisions of the unity government, especially the truce between the two sides," Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu said in a statement.
He was referring to a ceasefire between the Israeli army and Gaza militants that has been in tatters since mid-May, just before Hamas's bloody takeover of Gaza in June.
The Islamist movement issued the statement "because we are in the middle of Ramadan and we want to give the Palestinians a chance to live in peace, reopen the crossings and end the siege," Nunu told AFP.
Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin rejected the statement as "ridiculous," saying "there is no question of striking any ceasefire deal with them (Hamas). They are a terrorist organisation recognised as such by the international community that took power as a result of a putsch."
On Thursday Hamas called on Palestinian militant groups to stop firing rockets at border crossings between Gaza and Israel.
The takeover of Gaza sank the Palestinian unity cabinet and split the Palestinians into two entities, with the Western-shunned Islamists ruling Gaza and the Western-backed moderate president Mahmud Abbas based in the West Bank.