For the first time in Hamas and Israel history , an agreement is reached between both sides. This history ( 19/6 ) marks a new era in the Palestinian ( and Israeli ) history. This might not be the first time an agreement is made between Hamas and Israel , but it’s the first declared agreement between the two.
The agreement is simple . Hamas stops firing the hand-made rockets that were hitting the Israeli settlements near Gaza, and Israel stops its military acts against Gaza and the ports are open for goods exchange.
Ever since then Israel started its provocative acts. One day after the start of the truce Israeli soldiers start shooting at Palestinian farmers coming to farm their land that they left long time ago due to military acts near the borders. Israel also shot dead 2 activists from the Islamic Jihad in the West Bank. Then few rockets were fired from Gaza as a "response".
It is not clear whether Israel intentionally provoking , but a balanced observer for the whole situation can easily find that both Hamas and Israel are very interested in maintaining this truce in spite of the continuous doubts from both sites.
Hamas, I think, is the winner in this truce. Not only will it be able to regain its military strength as well as its popularity in Gaza , it also proved to its supporters that it was 'strong enough" to force Israel into a truce with it . Internationally I don’t know how will Israel explain it to the public how it is with an "agreement" with the "terrorist organization – Hamas " !!
Locally , the Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah is suffering. Hamas is no longer viewed as a terrorist organization. It’s a Partner. Partner in the Palestinian Legislative Council ( with a majority ) , and a partner with Israel ! Abbas , the Palestinian president, is in his worst conditions . Even Shimon Peretz suspects his viability and importance as a Palestinian leader with whom Israel can start anything.
Hamas is getting more power and support among Palestinians. Internationally the situation is much more better than before for Hamas , and worse for the Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah.
What made Israel go to Hamas for an agreement ?? It could have simply continued with the same pace in Gaza but without any military violence or provocations. Israel was NOT in a MUST position to make a truce with Hamas. This truce is a strategic change in the Israeli policy with Palestinians, no doubt.
What is the truce targeting and what will the long term outcomes be is something that no one can answer now. Linking this change in Israeli policy with the peace talks with Syria and Hezbollah is irrelevant, I think.
The war is now back in the West-Bank : Hamas will start building itself there and the PNA will do everything to stop Hamas from doing so. Fatah is trying to put a tighter hand on the situation but its capabilities and structure is not allowing it to do so. Israel will have to decide soon with whom will it have to work.
Very soon we will see more dramatic changes, in the West Bank this time!
Whatever the changes are, they are in the right direction for the average Palestinian citizens. The situation is much more better in Gaza now , and surely will be so in the West Bank soon.
This truce with Hamas is a true and genuine marker that Israel is moving towards peace with Palestinians. Lets wait and see.
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The bodies of two Israeli soldiers have been handed to the Red Cross by Hezbollah. This is to be in exchange for Lebanese prisoners who have been held by Israel and the “deal” is being seen as a triumph by the Lebanese Shi'ite group. Before the exchange, it was not clear whether the two soldiers were alive or not
but the two plain black coffins delivered to the border told the soldiers' family what they had long feared. Earlier, five Lebanese prisoners were handed over at the Lebanese/Israeli border. These included Samir Qantar a Druze, who has been in prison in Israel for almost thirty years following a guerrilla raid which killed three Israelis, including a child. They are said by Hezbollah to be the last Lebanese prisoners from Israeli jails.
Some Israelis see today’s events as an unfortunate but necessary act, others see it as a sorry state of affairs when an “agreement” such as this is made. The Israeli soldiers' capture caused war with Hezbollah, 2 years ago, that lasted for 34 days and killed around 1,200 people in Lebanon and 159 Israelis.
The bodies of nearly 200 Lebanese and Palestinian fighters killed, are also to be transferred to Lebanon as part of the exchange and Hezbollah will return the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in the south of Lebanon.
It has been said that this agreement will put and end to a situation that has motivated many Hezbollah attempts to capture Israelis to use as bargaining tools.
Will this be the case?
With Hezbollah flags flying across south Lebanon and on the road to Beirut, banners stating "Liberation of the captives: a new dawn for Lebanon and Palestine," make for uneasy reading with some Lebanese feeling that the exchange only shows the pointlessness of the conflict which caused so many lives to be lost only two years ago.
With Israelis confused at the declaration of a national holiday in Lebanon to mark the “deal” and the Lebanese claiming justice to be done, the celebrations seem to me to be hollow. Dead bodies swapped for live prisoners. Body parts exchanged for convicted murders. At least two generations fighting a battle that has long ago lost it’s sense of purpose and direction, with thousands of Palestinian refugees, and countless lives destroyed.
It hardly feels like peace has come.
I think that the war faught by the Palestinians is a human rights war that can come up with a positive solution, where as the war between the rest of the arabs and muslims in the rest of the world is a religious war that might not have any good out of it! This second war is the same war faught by the governments against each other. I believe the 2 cultures and religions can live together on the same land, in one condition: this is their war, not ours....the only people who can solve this never ending problem of territory are the Palestinian and Israeli populations.
The latest news on this topic:
http://www.france24.com/ar/20080722-israel-jerusalem-kill-bulldozer-driver-palestinian
this link can be of interest
http://www.fromoccupiedpalestine.org/node/1754
Thank you for sharing this link.
the one thing i can not imagine is religious sect coming to violence over god
This truce agreement should not be hold as long as Hamas doesn't release Gilad Shalit. There will be no agreement with Hamas since they are a terrorist organization inflicting suffering on there own people. Palestinians: It's time for you to get rid of Hamas!
m gusta mucho tu blog lo visito a diario visita el mi y si t gusta deja un comentario y nos enlazamos los blogs
Hi Osaid Rasheed,
Thanks for your blog.
Peace to you and your family.
The following link is my reflection on the recent election of Barack Obama.
http://palestineisraelbarackobama.blogspot.com/
Stewart Mills,
Sydney, Australia
don't kill palestinas people again, why d0 you do that?
the real terrorist is Israel
Truce? Hamas will soon start bombing again and everything repeats itself again.
Cool post as for me. It would be great to read something more about this topic.
BTW look at the design I've made myself Overnight escort
At times he preached nonresistance to evil, something which has inspired many people to become absolute pacifists, never raising a hand to defend against aggression.but the two plain black coffins delivered to the border told the soldiers' family what they had long feared.
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