Gaza Cease-Fire Extended, But Peace Is A Long Way Away


Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend a truce, and it appears to be holding despite a precarious start, CNN is reporting.

Late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, the two sides exchanged rocket fire, raising fears that the new cease-fire would not hold. However, the brief exchange did not escalate into more violence, and it appears, as of this post, that the truce is holding. (See also: The Disgraceful And Terrifying Revival Of Violent Jew Hate In EuropeInquisitr)

The newly-enacted ceasefire gives the two sides, currently negotiating in Egypt, 120 more hours to hammer out their differences. Currently, the two sides are far apart, but Hamas’ lead negotiator Azzam al-Ahmed is optimistic.

“There remains a positive atmosphere towards reaching a comprehensive agreement. But there are still sticking points.”

Those “sticking points” involve Israel’s demand that Hamas be completely disarmed and Gaza be completely demilitarized, in addition to the complete destruction of tunnels that allow weapons and personnel to be smuggled into Israel, according to Yahoo News. The Palestinians, for their part, want an end to Israel’s economic blockade of the Gaza; the re-opening of an airport and seaport; the “launching of a free fishing zone”; and the release of prisoners.

The third-party host of the negotiations, Egypt, is cautious about any agreement that would give recognition or legitimacy to Hamas, putting them in the precarious position of siding with Israel in the conflict. This puts the squeeze on Hamas, according to The Times of Israel writer Avi Issacharoff.

The Times of Israel believes that the cease-fire won’t last, and that negotiations aren’t likely to yield results.

“But nobody can make any such guarantees without a Hamas promise to disarm. Meanwhile, the Hamas military wing is urging the political leadership not to compromise. According to Palestinian sources in Gaza, it wants the conflict resumed so long as Israel is not prepared to sanction a dramatic change in the Gaza reality. And thus the likelihood of a re-escalation is certainly as realistic as the likelihood of an agreement, if not more so. Hamas is under siege in Cairo, not just in Gaza, by three hostile players — Israel, the [Palestinian Authority], and Egypt. It may well decide not to return to the Cairo talks at all.”

Do you believe that the latest Israel/Hamas cease-fire will hold? Will the two sides reach an agreement that leads to peace? Let us know what you think in the comments.

[Image via tbo.com]

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