Een staakt-het-vuren van een dag, dat ook nog eens met verschillende raketten en schietincidenten gepaard gaat? Het is in elk geval goed genoeg om ook de Nederlandse media te halen, die het kleinste en ongeloofwaardigste signaaltje dat Hamas een heel klein beetje redelijk is uitvergroten.
Ondertussen blijft de vraag of het staakt-het-vuren van het afgelopen halfjaar eventueel toch nog kan worden vernieuwd, waar Egypte zich voor inzet. Hamas eist betere condities zoals complete opening van de grenzen, maar Israel sloot die juist steeds nadat het staakt-het-vuren werd geschonden. Geregeld werden raketten of mortiergranaten afgevuurd, niet door Hamas zelf weliswaar, maar Hamas had de verantwoordlijkheid hieraan een compleet einde te maken. Bovendien zou er volgens Israel ook worden gepraat over een gevangenenruil en zou Hamas zich daarin constructief opstellen. Daar is helemaal niets van terecht gekomen, ondanks vergaande Israelische flexibiliteit.
RP
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Barak allows transfer of food, humanitarian supplies to Gaza
JPost.com staff and AP , THE JERUSALEM POST
JPost.com staff and AP , THE JERUSALEM POST
Dec. 23, 2008
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Despite continued firing of Kassam rockets at the Negev by Palestinian terrorists on Tuesday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak will allow a shipment of food and humanitarian supplies to residents of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Barak made the decision in response to calls from the international community regarding the humanitarian situation in the Strip.
Basic food, medicine, petrol and cooking gas will be transferred to Gaza through the Karni and Kerem Shalom crossings.
Five Egyptian trucks containing humanitarian supplies will also be allowed passage into the Strip, an initiative of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's wife, Suzanne Mubarak.
Throughout Tuesday, terrorists in Gaza fired six Kassam rockets at the western Negev, after a day-long informal cease-fire.
Two of the rockets hit an open area in the Eshkol region and one landed near Sderot. The other three rockets landed in the Sha'ar Hanegev region, one near an educational facility. No one was wounded and no damage was reported in the attacks.
On Tuesday night, IDF troops killed three Palestinian terrorists near Netiv Ha'asara, just north of Gaza.
The terrorists were apprehended during an attempt to plant an explosive device near the Gaza perimeter fence, and were shot and killed in the exchange of fire that followed.
A grenade was thrown at IDF troops by the terrorists, but no soldiers were wounded.
On Monday, two Hamas officials said the group had agreed to a 24-hour cease-fire. It came after a warning from Egypt that Israel would begin assassinating Hamas leaders if the rocket attacks continued.
The brief cease-fire was also linked to a transfer of aid from Egypt, scheduled to arrive in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
A Hamas spokesman announced Tuesday that the rocket fire on the South would resume as soon as the aid arrived in Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing, Israel Radio reported.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry had initially denied the reports that it had asked Hamas to temporarily hold its fire as a condition for transferring the aid. Islamic Jihad also denied that a 24-hour truce was in place.
Earlier Tuesday, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar was quoted as saying that his group was willing to extend the temporary cease-fire if Israel abides by the terms agreed upon in June.
Speaking to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Aharam, Zahar said Hamas would hold a "situation assessment" to discuss the 24-hour truce. "If [we see] that the cease-fire has had good results, it's likely that the truce will continue," he said.
On Monday afternoon, Gaza gunmen fired at IDF soldiers patrolling the security fence near the Sufa crossing, seemingly in violation of the informal truce. The troops returned fire. No one was wounded and no damage was reported.
In addition, soldiers arrested two Palestinians near Kissufim who had crossed the Gaza fence. They were transferred for interrogation.
Also Monday afternoon, three Kassam rockets fired by Gaza terrorists hit southern Israel. One struck the Eshkol region, while two hit the Sha'ar Hanegev area. No one was wounded and no damage was reported.
Barak made the decision in response to calls from the international community regarding the humanitarian situation in the Strip.
Basic food, medicine, petrol and cooking gas will be transferred to Gaza through the Karni and Kerem Shalom crossings.
Five Egyptian trucks containing humanitarian supplies will also be allowed passage into the Strip, an initiative of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's wife, Suzanne Mubarak.
Throughout Tuesday, terrorists in Gaza fired six Kassam rockets at the western Negev, after a day-long informal cease-fire.
Two of the rockets hit an open area in the Eshkol region and one landed near Sderot. The other three rockets landed in the Sha'ar Hanegev region, one near an educational facility. No one was wounded and no damage was reported in the attacks.
On Tuesday night, IDF troops killed three Palestinian terrorists near Netiv Ha'asara, just north of Gaza.
The terrorists were apprehended during an attempt to plant an explosive device near the Gaza perimeter fence, and were shot and killed in the exchange of fire that followed.
A grenade was thrown at IDF troops by the terrorists, but no soldiers were wounded.
On Monday, two Hamas officials said the group had agreed to a 24-hour cease-fire. It came after a warning from Egypt that Israel would begin assassinating Hamas leaders if the rocket attacks continued.
The brief cease-fire was also linked to a transfer of aid from Egypt, scheduled to arrive in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
A Hamas spokesman announced Tuesday that the rocket fire on the South would resume as soon as the aid arrived in Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing, Israel Radio reported.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry had initially denied the reports that it had asked Hamas to temporarily hold its fire as a condition for transferring the aid. Islamic Jihad also denied that a 24-hour truce was in place.
Earlier Tuesday, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar was quoted as saying that his group was willing to extend the temporary cease-fire if Israel abides by the terms agreed upon in June.
Speaking to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Aharam, Zahar said Hamas would hold a "situation assessment" to discuss the 24-hour truce. "If [we see] that the cease-fire has had good results, it's likely that the truce will continue," he said.
On Monday afternoon, Gaza gunmen fired at IDF soldiers patrolling the security fence near the Sufa crossing, seemingly in violation of the informal truce. The troops returned fire. No one was wounded and no damage was reported.
In addition, soldiers arrested two Palestinians near Kissufim who had crossed the Gaza fence. They were transferred for interrogation.
Also Monday afternoon, three Kassam rockets fired by Gaza terrorists hit southern Israel. One struck the Eshkol region, while two hit the Sha'ar Hanegev area. No one was wounded and no damage was reported.
Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.
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