Behind the scenes of the short-lived cease-fire

[Jefferson23]

While the Egyptians hammered out a deal with Netanyahu, Hamas and most of the Israeli cabinet were kept out of the loop.

By Barak Ravid and Jack Khoury | Jul. 16, 2014 | 2:31 AM

The Egyptian cease-fire proposal that was published Monday night took most members of the diplomatic-security cabinet by complete surprise. Economy Minister Naftali Bennett heard about it in a television studio moments before going on air. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman heard about it on the radio.

A senior Israeli official said Lieberman knew that talks were being held with the Egyptians, but had no idea a proposal was being finalized. Upon hearing the news, he realized that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who were running the talks, had left him out of the loop.

snip*Hamas left out

Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip were also surprised to learn of the Egyptian cease-fire proposal, especially Hamas, which still views itself as the sovereign in Gaza.

All the factions knew that talks about a cease-fire were taking place, but they had expected Egyptian intelligence to fully coordinate any serious proposal with them, as had been the case in the past. They did not expect to hear about it from the media – nor did they expect that Egypt would coordinate with Israel but not with them.

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.605363

[King_David]

1. So wtf didn't Hamas grab the chance to end the Palestinian misery?

WTF

[King_David]

2. Gaza Public Rejects Hamas, Wants Ceasefire

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113469369

[ellenrr]

3. ya know, I don't want to offend any sensitivities, but I'm confused

when I see scenes of large numbers of Palestinians, shouting "God is Great".

[kjones]

6. What are you referring to? I mean, in regards to this post.

[ellenrr]

8. sorry - I don't know - I must have posted in error, wrong place. nt

[bemildred]

4. Such a a dry little statement:

Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip were also surprised to learn of the Egyptian cease-fire proposal, especially Hamas, which still views itself as the sovereign in Gaza.

[Jefferson23]

5. Yep. n/t

[bemildred]

7. Israel Calls Up 8,000 More Reservists as Bombing Rages

(JERUSALEM) -- Israel has called an additional 8,000 military reservists Wednesday, indicating that its offensive against Hamas is not winding down.

The new reservists will be joining the 40,000 that have already been called up, with many of them poised along with tanks on Israel's border with Gaza.

This comes as a senior Hamas official announced that the Islamic militant group has formally closed the door on the Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire aimed at ending the conflict with Israel.

International officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry, seemed hopeful that the peace deal could still work even after Hamas ignored the cease-fire proposal Tuesday and continued to fire rockets at Israel. Israel responded after a six-hour break with a fresh barrage of aerial and naval attacks at what they called terrorist sites.

http://abcnewsradioonline.com/world-news/israel-calls-up-8000-more-reservists-as-bombing-rages.html

[Jefferson23]

9. FM: Turkey, Qatar sabotaged Cairo’s cease-fire proposal

Lieberman tells visiting Norwegian FM the two countries are pressuring Hamas not to accept the Egyptian proposal, in order to promote themselves as mediators.

By Barak Ravid and Jack Khoury | 00:33 17.07.14 |

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday accused Turkey and Qatar of sabotaging the cease-fire proposal Egypt drafted for Israel and Hamas earlier this week.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.605586

[Jefferson23]

10. Hamas official: Progress made, but cease-fire not yet reached

Foreign media says agreement reached in Egypt to go into effect at 6 A.M., Lieberman: Report from reality; mortar shells fired from Gaza two hours into temporary truce; IDF thwarts infiltration attempt; Gaza death toll rises to 230.

By Haaretz | Jul. 17, 2014 | 3:09 PM

An Israeli official has said that a comprehensive cease-fire agreement was reached during deliberations in Egypt and would go into effect at 6 A.M. on Friday morning, according to reports in the foreign media. A member of the security cabinet told Haaretz that no such agreement has been brought for approval yet.

A temporary humanitarian cease-fire between Israel and Hamas went into effect at 10 A.M. on Thursday and was scheduled to last until 3 P.M. Three rockets were fired at southern Israel just two hours after the cease-fire went into effect, and another round was launched exactly two minutes expired.

The cease-fire was requested by Robert Serry, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East, in order to allow aid into the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defense Forces struck 37 targets overnights in the Gaza Strip; the death toll in the coastal territory has reached 230. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have fired more than 1,215 rockets and mortar shells into Israel since the hostilities began, reaching the length and breadth of the country. One Israeli has been killed, several wounded and millions of lives disrupted. Of the missiles fired, 38 have exploded in built-up spaces and 231 have been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.605590

[Jefferson23]

11. Hamas official says no new truce deal, efforts ongoing

GAZA CITY (AFP) -- A Hamas official denied a ceasefire deal with Israel has been reached, rejecting claims from an Israeli official that they had agreed to halt fire early Friday.

"The news about a ceasefire is incorrect. There are continuing efforts but no agreement until now," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP on Thursday.

The denial came after an Israeli official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said Israel had agreed a ceasefire with Hamas that would begin at 6 a.m. on Friday.

The conflicting reports come only days after Israel announced the collapse of a ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt on Thursday, after Hamas officials said that they had not been informed of the agreement and had only learned through the media.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=713887

[Israeli]

12. IDF forces have opened massive fire ....

...at both the northern Gaza Strip and at south of strip .

[Jefferson23]

13. Horrendous, just horrendous. n/t

[Israeli]

29. its started ...

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4545459,00.html

we knew it was coming since my last post ....started calling up even more reservists this afternoon around 6pm .... so many kids I know have gone today alone .

all hell is about to break loose tonight .

[Jefferson23]

30. I just learned. I am speechless and fearful. n/t

[Jefferson23]

22. Turkey's FM says he has never taken Lieberman seriously

Davutoglu makes the remarks following report that Israel's foreign minister accused Turkey, Qatar of sabotaging Egypt-brokered Gaza truce.

By Haaretz | Jul. 17, 2014

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.605755

[Jefferson23]

14. FAQ on Failed Effort to Arrange Ceasefire Between Israel and Hamas

snip*Q - Why do you think Hamas didn't accept the terms of the ceasefire?

RK - "Hamas has insisted that there be a lasting resolution of the basic problem of Israel's siege of Gaza, as was promised as part of the 2012 cease-fire, but never implemented in spite of Israel's recognition that Hamas scrupulously maintained the cease-fire until quite recently. The Egyptian proposal makes lifting of the siege conditional on Israel's approval, which means never."


MR - "Hamas, and with it other Palestinian organizations such as Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, have indicated that they were not consulted on the Egyptian cease-fire proposal, and that it has not been formally presented to them but rather released to the media after its terms were agreed with Israel.

"In terms of the proposal's contents, what these organizations and many Palestinians object to is that it simply restores a 2012 ceasefire agreement that Israel has systematically violated and does not provide any guarantees such violations would cease. These violations consist not only of periodic armed Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, but also Israel's refusal to respect clauses on the rights of fishermen in Gaza's territorial waters and farmers in land close to the Gaza/Israel boundary.

"Hamas has additionally stated that it would not accept an agreement that does not provide for the immediate re-release of Palestinian prisoners who were released by Israel in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange with Israel, but re-arrested by Israel in the last month.

"More broadly, Hamas and other Palestinian organizations are averse to returning to an untenable status quo, which lasts only until Israel once again decides to launch a major assault on the Gaza Strip, and which does not include concrete steps towards lifting the ongoing and prolonged blockade of the Gaza Strip.

in full: http://imeu.org/article/faq-on-failed-effort-to-arrange-ceasefire-between-israel-and-hamas#.U8WKlXzKP6k.facebook

[bemildred]

15. Yep.

Which makes clear that Bibi is looking for an out.

[Jefferson23]

16. Agreed. n/t

[FBaggins]

17. Doesn't seem rational

Sure... it's a pro-palestinian site, but did they think that they made the Hamas position look reasonable?

You would rather continue killing each other actively than live with a situation where you're not actively killing each other, but the other side isn't giving you what you want?

Seems to me that any rational person would prefer an "untenable status quo" that might someday break into combat again - to the certainty of combat now.

I don't buy it. What they're really saying is that they think they can win a propaganda war and are perfectly happy to sacrifice the lives of their people (because they sure can't win militarily) to score those propaganda points. In fact, they're willing to indiscriminately lob rockets at cities (with little effect, but clearly intending terror) in order to force the other side to attack - so that they can then try to spin that attack.

Pretty shameful if you ask me.

[Jefferson23]

18. The panelists are discussing what they know to be true about why the events occurred the way

they did. They are not endorsing what Hamas decided to do.


If you notice, there are suggestions as to what should be done going forward...none
of which include more use of fire power.

[bemildred]

19. Politics is rarely rational.

This is a game of chicken being played by both sides. The "Crazy guy" strategy is very popular. But Bibi has a lot more to lose, and no real way forward(*), so I expect he will cave first.

* -- However unattractive it has been so far, you can bet it will be much worse if the IDF decides to invade Gaza.

[bemildred]

20. Israel seeks ceasefire that will restore authority to Abbas, says official

Israel wants a ceasefire agreement that would restore the authority of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza, according to a senior government official.

Talks in Cairo seeking a way to end the 10-day conflict in Gaza, in which more than 220 Palestinians – mostly civilians – have been killed, continued on Thursday amid a flurry of contradictory statements and speculation.

"We're in a really critical 24 hours," said a western diplomat. "If there's no ceasefire in the next two or three days, pressure will increase on Netanyahu for a ground operation."

Delegations from both Israel and Hamas engaged in the arms-lengths talks, setting out through intermediaries their principal terms for ending the military confrontation.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/17/israel-seeks-ceasefire-restore-abbas-authority-hamas

[Jefferson23]

21. Good luck...what a freakin mess. n/t

[bemildred]

23. I will accept any fig leaf at this point.

And that one is not unreasonable, if it gets Rafah opened, IMHO. A sop for everyone, in that one. Bibi gets "quiet", Hamas gets some much needed (by the people of Gaza) concessions, Abbas gets to stay in the game, al Sisi gets to play peacemaker.

[Jefferson23]

24. Absolutely, but you think that will happen? Thus my wish for good luck.

As much as Bibi wants an out, I am not confident Hamas will get much of anything.
I don't have confidence in Hamas, either.

[bemildred]

25. No idea. Hard to tell when everybody is trying to look fierce.

And no real idea how much pressure Hamas is under within Gaza, or Bibi either in Israel. Just hints.

[Jefferson23]

26. I hope you're right..it could give good cover for all..which they want..end the violence asap. n/t

[bemildred]

27. Apparently not:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014848829

[Jefferson23]

28. Ugh, bemildred...too scary. n/t