Israel has agreed to extend a ceasefire that ended a month of fighting in Gaza beyond a Friday deadline, an Israeli official said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Israel accepted an unconditional 72-hour cease fire, and is willing to extend an unconditional cease-fire,” the official said.
The official did not say for how much longer Israel had agreed to extend the truce, only that: “Israel has expressed its readiness to extend the truce under its current terms,” referring to the deal brokered by Egyptthat took effect on Tuesday.
Cairo-based senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzouk said in a Twitter post Wednesday night that “there is no agreement on an extension” of the Gaza truce.
A senior official with the Islamist group’s armed wing threatened earlier to quit the talks without progress towards achieving its demands to lift a Gaza blockade and free prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas also warned Wednesday night that it would resume its attacks on Israel unless Jerusalem accepts all Palestinian demands, first and foremost the lifting of the siege and release of prisoners who were rearrested in the West Bank.
Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq said, “We haven’t received a reply to our demands. Our fingers are still on the trigger.”
Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz, has said in televised remarks that should Hamas disrupt the calm, “we will not hesitate to continue to use our force wherever necessary and with whatever force necessary to ensure the security of Israeli citizens near and far.”
Israel withdrew ground forces from tiny, densely populated Gaza on Tuesday morning and started a 72-hour, Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Hamas as a first step towards a long-term deal.
It showed signs of expecting the truce to last by lifting official emergency restrictions on civilians living in Israel’s south near Gaza, permitting more public activities and urging everyone to resume their routines.
Streets in towns in southern Israel, which had been under daily rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, were filled again with playing children. The military said that two rocket-warning sirens sounded in the south proved to be false alarms.
US envoy Frank Lowenstein was due in Cairo on Wednesday night to try to help Egyptian-mediated talks between Israel and the Palestinians find a lasting end to their conflict over the Gaza Strip, the US State Department said.
Lowenstein is the acting US special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
“We, along with our partners, are working to find a way forward that brings an end to the violence and addresses the underlying causes of this crisis,” State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez said in announcing the trip.
Herb Keinon and Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.
Aitzaz Said:
That’s a very good idea – then they can teach you how to become human beings – it may take several more thousand years though – if it’s possible.
Muslims are invaders who install terror and mayhem every where they go. Reverting Pakistan to Buddhist rule would produce lasting peace there.
In Pakistan, there is a city Taxila, a famous budhist monastery. established many thousand year ago, so believing in your philosophy, if budhist start coming here and occupy this land, we will have to hand it over to them, no matter what the ground realities are? no matter for how many centuries these people living here? @ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
NormanF Said:
Goody gumdrops.
Light ’em up!
@ AbbaGuutuu:
El Netanyahu and la Livni will beg, crawl, fold and betray the whole Jewish people and all will be just fine.
That while all the Oslo gangs sing at unison… VIVA “CEASE FIRE”!
NormanF Said:
I heard about it two hours ago. It is expected!
If Hamas does not change its mind, within the next two hours, Israel would be in a better position to finish the war initiated by Hamas in its favor now! No more cease fire until complete surrender by Islamist!!!!!!!
It is high time for the world to stand with Israel. No more excuses to support Hamas and Islamic Jihad!
Hamas has just broken the ceasefire.
War is over barely a week and they’re masochists.
I count myself as a Jewish nationalist. As such, I freely admit that I want the Jewish nation to take, annex and settle all the lands from the Suez Canal or the Mitla Pass Area on the southwest, to the Syrian desert on the east, and from the Litani River gorge in southern Lebanon the the north to the Straits of Tiran in the south. I have no interest in peace whatsoever, even if that were possible. Call me whatever the hell you want; I won’t feel defamed.
So I would not take the time or go to the trouble of arguing with anybody, including the Arab who signed in here for commenting. Maybe he is accurate in what he says about us. Because, frankly speaking, I want the Jewish nation to take and hold all that land. And no tribe, clan or nation in the world ever found and settled a place in which to live and grow, other than by committing outright aggression against whoever was living on that land when they started eyeballing it.
There’s a short literary conversation I read scores of years ago, and which I never forget, written, I think, by John Steinbeck:
—————————–
“Get off my land.”
“How did you get this land?”
“I got it from my father.”
“And how did your father get the land?”
“He got it from his father.”
“And how did his father get the land?”
“He fought the Indians and took it from them.”
“I’ll fight you for it.”
———————–
There’s no fairness in any of this, and in the fullness of the centuries and millenia since the dawn of human civilization, there has been nothing but winners and losers. Win, and you have a country. Lose, and you’re just a refugee in some stranger’s ghetto.
And that’s almost likely the way it always shall play out.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
NormanF Said:
Is English you’re native tongue ???????
Max Said:
And yet you never fail to respond???????
Max Said:
Love his eyes, best movie ” Hud”.
@ honeybee:
Yes, when you misinterpret my comment to mean Jews lack honor! Its the other side that has none and you know that very well. Jews are better than them – always – even if they don’t get it right the way you and I think they should.
@ honeybee:
Really, now? Then who is the one issuing an ultimatum? The victor or the loser? Its so confusing!
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
A good answer.’
@Norman: I don’t believe honeybee (aka ‘Paul Neuman’ fan) has spent too much time at that there book learning.
NormanF Said:
Really, you can insulted?
NormanF Said:
My low reading comprehension. Read what you write.
@ honeybee:
You seem to to have a reading comprehension problem. I addressed it to that lying Arab p’tak! But you side with him and insult my honor and my family’s honor. Low, even for you, hurtling around insults.
@ yamit82:
Does the evil Yoav Mordechai really believe Hamas would supply free electricity to Israel if the circumstances were reversed? If not, why does Israel feel obligated to provide it to the enemy?
@ yamit82:
They fled the border in the aftermath of the Hamas coup 7 years ago.Lieberman is smoking crack! Europeans are not going to die for the Jews.
yamit82 Said:
oy
@ Aitzaz:
Gaza and Yamit were beautiful places when they were gifted to the musloids.
NormanF Said:
Israeli and Jewish have lived, fought and died along side their men for centuries,we have more earned our honor. We Jewish women have born and nursed you and your children. We have raised you to be the men your are. You, NormanF are a rebuke to your Mother and to your people.
Aitzaz Said:
Are you whining about the reply to your rocket?
The story is much longer than you wish to say but it does not matter, all that is important is that jew killers and their enablers should die. As for me the fact that you have it in your charter is enough reason to kill you at any time. As you threaten you should be killed. Would you complain if Israel nuked Iran, would you whine and moan of dead children.
You post demonstrates that you came here to distract jews from their interests and focus them on yours: the pal suffering story. I dont care one shred for pal suffering, I only have tears for jews not jew killers. You should go to mondowiss where you can find jews and other fools who will argue with you seriously, here we know what you are.
NormanF Said:
Having been named for one of the GREATEST LEADERS is Jewish history, I resent your remark.
Aitzaz Said:
It appears you wish to continue your pattern of head chopping, throat slitting and honor killing, therefore do not whine, wail, weep and moan when you and your children die.
It is no more complicated than this:
If you fire ONE rocket at my children I will intentionally kill ALL your children.
Until this is understood and internalized by you there is no reason for any other discussion as all is irrelevant next to this.
yamit82 Said:
It is difficult to believe that this “war” is not a contrived drama because only insane people would immediately run to restore electricity to an enemy who is still threatening to kill him. As the army has left gaza and BB is restoring power then I assume he is ignoring hamas threats because he knows the true story.
@ Aitzaz:
I believe that your narrative deserves a fair answer.
Lets start from the top.
The Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people since many thousands of years before Islam was created. Basically, all of you are illegal occupants installed here during periods of occupation by various foreign powers.
Correspondingly , no, you do not own the land, you or your elders stole our land.
“Palestine” was a name given to our Land, Eretz Israel, by the invading Romans and your hamulas were not part of that labeling of convinience. Until late in the previous century the fabrication of a purported palestinian people was not on record.
The original philistines were sea going traders from the Greek Islands that disappeared / went back home many thousands of years ago. Arguably only George Habbash was the only candidate qualified to claim that ancestry.
Islam instills the land grab travesty on its hordes. We shall not accept that.
Regarding we stealing “your water”. Interlopers have no water, plantation, housing, cultivation rights. In fact Arabs steal water processed by us by breaking into water tubing mains routinely.
They also steal from us electricity, crops, sheep, goats, horses, cattle, cars, trucks, tractors, irrigation systems, plantings, etc.
As a rule we do not kill even enemies if they do not raise to harm us. So, if anyone in your hamula got killed, there must have been a background to it.
SHOOTING ROCKETS AND MURDERING. It is not too difficult to see that barbarism, slaughtering, mass murder, killing of children occurs across Islamic lands and lands infested by Islam in massive numbers. Millions in Iraq and Iran, hundreds of thousands in Afghanistan, countless numbers in Pakistan, almost two hundred thousand in Syria, Libya, Sudan and the core of Africa. Etc.
Islam is a ghastly cult of death.
I hope you understand reality and stop deceiving your self and others.
Danon: Netanyahu Acting Like ‘the Contractor of the Left’
MK Danon warns Prime Minister that he cannot continue to “follow the desires of Tzipi Livni”.
Israel Would Have Freed Prisoners for Demilitarized Gaza, Asks Germany for Help
Israel is asking Germany and the EU to help with administration over Gaza to prevent future security problems.
Israel Repairs Gaza Damage While Talks Continue
Nine of the ten power lines leading to Gaza were damaged by Hamas terror rockets fired at Israel.
Israel Asks Germans, EU to Monitor Gaza Border 🙁
‘Germany and the EU must dispatch inspectors to Gaza to monitor trade with the neighboring countries,’ says Foreign Minister Liberman.
Report: Israel to Lift Blockade, Travel Restrictions on Gaza
Egyptian sources insist Israel acquiescing to Hamas’s unprecedented demands as rumors swirl over ceasefire talks.
NormanF Said:
He has the bad example and bad teachers. He is used as fodder created by the ambitions of ruthless others. Their worst enemy is inside themselves – a tragedy – wasted human beings – dangerous wasted humans..
@ Aitzaz:
As I noted, honor is earned, not given. Only you can give your lives meaning.
@ Aitzaz:
As I no@ Aitzaz:
Grow up! The world is too old to babysit Muslims full of rage.
Aitzaz Said:
You people never surprise me. I don’t search for anything from you.
Aitzaz Said:
The palestinians can start by renouncing Terrorism and stop tryig to kill Israelis. Then they could simply live long and prosperr – everybody happy!
except for terorists.
As for you, a Pakistani propagandist , you could probably resign from the Taliban.
These are not my own words, search out and find who said this actually. May be a surprise for you@ Max:
Aitzaz Said:
No they were given all those things the water, the land, the olive trees then Hamas killed the fathers, the mothers the sons, and those that survived they used as humans shields they starved them using their capital to buy weapons instead of businesses. There was no shooting “back”, Israelis do not try to shoot innocent Arabs it is only the Israelis who shoot back.
It’s interesting – you summarize the propaganda lie that is fed to the Arabs and the West.
but it is a hollow lie easily debunked and has been debunked ad nauseam.
—
And you are from Pakistan as you said – so you are not from Gaza! – exposed as a liar already!
but are you CAPITALIST guys are really giving us a chance to clean our houses, you supporting corrupt leaders and commanding our lands through them, you burning libraries, stealing old books and assets, how we start? please comment@ NormanF:
@ Aitzaz:
Arabs can’t even keep their word to the civilized world. But keep blaming the Jews for making you full of murderous rage. Clean up your crap first before you throw the stones at others’ glass houses.
you are perfectly right, Arabs have really made life difficult for all muslims around the globe. @ NormanF:
this ass blown away is similar kind of offensive comment. But i respect your words because i realize that you dont have anything better inside.@ Aitzaz:
@ Aitzaz:
Decent people don’t try to vent rage at others. They seek to make their own lives better and themselves become the change they want to see in the world. Blowing up Jews has not improved the life of a single Arab. Lusting after death is a dead-end. In the end, whether you live or die remains in the hands of you Arabs…
love your comments indeed, this little musloid has only few questions which should be answered logically.@ the phoenix:
@ Aitzaz:
Whoaaa!
It’s gonna be interesting having this little musloid in the forum….
What you described ahmed, is called a “warm-up”.
Have a nice day, and don’t get too close to where your ‘brave friends’ are hiding… You might have your ass blown away, and then you won’t be able to comment …
YOU TAKE MY WATER, BURN MY OLIVE TREES, DESTROY MY HOUSE, TAKE MY JOB, STEAL MY LAND, IMPRISON MY FATHER, KILL MY MOTHER, BOMBARD MY COUNTRY, STARVE US ALL, HUMILIATE US ALL BUT I AM TO BLAME: I SHOT A ROCKET BACK…..
@ Topaz:
Honor is earned, not given. In the West, we show respect for women but in the Muslim World, women don’t exist. Israel has to decide if its the man or the woman with its enemies. The weak do not survive for long in that part of the world.
I assume you are meaning the strong one is the woman; if not, then denigrating women is not okay.
As for the Israeli leadership, I had thought that when this war is done then the Israeli public would need to remove them; but now, it seems that would be TOO LATE. Even negotiating NOT in the presence of the enemy even, like being in the same room with Jews would SHAME THEM.
NO DIGNITY, NO GUTS.
Hamas is already blackmailing Israel and Israeli officials are dropping their pants and inviting Hamas to screw them!
Its hard to know who is the man and who is the woman in this dysfunctional relationship.