Hamas said Sunday evening that all of Gaza's terrorist groups have agreed to halt attacks against Israel in return for an immediate re-opening of Gaza crossings. Meanwhile, two more 'Kassam' short-range rockets struck southern Israel but caused no injuries or damage.
Defense Ministry sources said on Sunday night that if Hamas can strictly enforce 24 straight hours without Kassam rockets being fired from Gaza, Defense Minister Ehud Barak will order the reopening of commercial crossings into the area.
Egypt brokering
Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said the agreement was reached after a meeting in Egypt, which has been trying to bridge gaps between Hamas and Israel as well as bring about a Hamas-Fatah unity pact.
The existing June 19 ceasefire, which has been broken dozens of times by rocket and mortar shell attacks, is due to end next month. The original agreement called for extending the truce to all of Judea and Samaria after six months, but the recent rocket barrages on southern Israel have made that timetable impracticable.
Israel had intended to re-open the Gaza crossing this week, but a round of rocket and mortar attacks Saturday night led Defense Minister Ehud Barak to order that the crossings remain closed.
Two missiles slam Negev
Two more Kassam rockets hit the western Negev Sunday evening, exploding in open areas. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni stated last week that Israel would not retaliate if there were no injuries. Since then, at least one person suffered light shrapnel wounds in an attack last week, and more than a dozen people were treated for emotional shock.
Both Israel and Hamas are considered to be anxious for an end of violence. Pro-Arab activists and international media have portrayed a devastating picture that lays the blame on Israel for shortages of food and fuel. Foreign Minister Livni's plea last week that Hamas is to blame for the social crisis was routinely reported but had no long-lasting effect on the negative image in the eyes of the media.
Hamas is suffering from growing anger within the Gaza population over shortages and the need to depend on merchandise reaching Gaza from Egypt via smuggling tunnels. Hamas controls the distribution of the goods and levies heavy taxes on tunnel operators.