Thirteen Palestinian terrorist factions continue their "hudna" [temporary ceasefire] talks in Egypt, but refuse to offer Israel an unconditional cessation of terrorist violence.
Most of the organizations are willing to stop murdering Israeli civilians on the pre-1967 side of the Green Line, but some have set various conditions for such. They demand that Israel stop building the counter-terrorism wall/fence, release imprisoned terrorists, and agree to stop its war against terrorism. Hamas also demands American guarantees for the Israeli fulfillment of these conditions.
Fatah, too, has some heavyweight conditions for a ceasefire. It demands an end to the siege around Arafat, the IDF's withdrawal from the PA-controlled cities, and more.
Israel refuses to be a party to any cease-fire agreement that does not include war on terrorism. PA leader Ahmed Qureia has said that he will not fight his Arab brethren, such that a dead-end in the "negotiations" has apparently been reached. Israel rejects the aforementioned terrorist conditions, though it agrees to continue its six-week moratorium on targeted killings. This does not prejudice its right, Israel says, to stop "ticking time bombs" - i.e., terrorists on their way to an attack.
Meanwhile, Arafat's security advisor Jibril Rajoub is attempting to convince the terrorist factions to agree to limit their terrorist activities. "Learn from Hizbullah," he said in an interview in today's A-Sharq Al-Aussat. "Hudna [temporary ceasefire] does not mean ceding the military option. Hizbullah is limiting its actions to the 'occupied territories,' namely, the Shab'a Farms, and the Palestinian factions should do the same."
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon, participating in today's Cabinet meeting, said that the hudna is a necessity for Hamas. He said that Hamas in Gaza suffered some strong blows at the hands of the IDF, and the hudna will give it a chance to regroup. The quiet on the terrorism front to which we have been witness of late, Yaalon said, is only a result of "far-ranging IDF operations."
Most of the organizations are willing to stop murdering Israeli civilians on the pre-1967 side of the Green Line, but some have set various conditions for such. They demand that Israel stop building the counter-terrorism wall/fence, release imprisoned terrorists, and agree to stop its war against terrorism. Hamas also demands American guarantees for the Israeli fulfillment of these conditions.
Fatah, too, has some heavyweight conditions for a ceasefire. It demands an end to the siege around Arafat, the IDF's withdrawal from the PA-controlled cities, and more.
Israel refuses to be a party to any cease-fire agreement that does not include war on terrorism. PA leader Ahmed Qureia has said that he will not fight his Arab brethren, such that a dead-end in the "negotiations" has apparently been reached. Israel rejects the aforementioned terrorist conditions, though it agrees to continue its six-week moratorium on targeted killings. This does not prejudice its right, Israel says, to stop "ticking time bombs" - i.e., terrorists on their way to an attack.
Meanwhile, Arafat's security advisor Jibril Rajoub is attempting to convince the terrorist factions to agree to limit their terrorist activities. "Learn from Hizbullah," he said in an interview in today's A-Sharq Al-Aussat. "Hudna [temporary ceasefire] does not mean ceding the military option. Hizbullah is limiting its actions to the 'occupied territories,' namely, the Shab'a Farms, and the Palestinian factions should do the same."
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon, participating in today's Cabinet meeting, said that the hudna is a necessity for Hamas. He said that Hamas in Gaza suffered some strong blows at the hands of the IDF, and the hudna will give it a chance to regroup. The quiet on the terrorism front to which we have been witness of late, Yaalon said, is only a result of "far-ranging IDF operations."