Hamas is committed to the destruction of the state. That is part of its ideology.
The head of the Defense Ministry’s political-military bureau, Major-General Amos Gilad, is departing Sunday for Egypt to discuss the terms for renewing the ceasefire agreement (tahadiyeh, or “calm” in Arabic) between the IDF and Hamas in Gaza. The six-month Egyptian-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hamas officially ends this Thursday. Gilad is expected to also discuss the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit.
Gilad will meet with Egyptian Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman. Although the talks were planned and unrelated to the ceasefire’s expiration on December 19, the visit will stress Israel’s views on the matter.
The hope for calm comes six days after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he has told security heads to plan for military action against terrorist groups in Gaza and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that the government should respond “militarily, economically, and politically.” While Jerusalem issued tough statements against Hamas, they simultaneously opened the Gaza borders for Arab trucks to transport funds for humanitarian purposes.
In violation of the cease-fire’s present terms, two mortar shells were fired at the Negev Saturday night. In addition, Gaza Arab terrorists fired a Kassam rocket at Sderot on Saturday morning. Although no injuries or damage were reported, residents in Sderot and nearby communities are in a state of perpetual tension.
The Defense Ministry stated that over the last week, artillery fired by Gazan terrorists has decreased and that Hamas is assumed to support the extension of the ceasefire agreement. Nonetheless, Hamas intends to negotiate new conditions. In particular, Israel must agree to keep the border crossings permanently open.
In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Gilad stated that Hamas’s overall interest is to renegotiate the cease-fire. “Hamas is committed to the destruction of the state. That is part of its ideology.” The Defense Ministry official added that Hamas does not accept any of the Quartet’s conditions for recognizing Israel. In addition, it wants to take over the PLO. “At present, for tactical and strategic reasons, it is interested in the tahadiyeh,” Gilad clarified.
However, Gilad doesn’t think that Hamas is faring well. “They've tried to take control of the West Bank. They're not succeeding. They tried to impose their will at the Cairo conference on Fatah and PLO. They're not succeeding. They're surviving in control of Gaza, but they're not offering any hope to the residents. The people there are suffering and living in poverty,” states Gilad.