T. Belman. This is a lousy deal.
The agreement doesn’t include a halt to the processions along the border but does call for an end to any violent acts by protesters, including the sailing of incendiary balloons
Egypt reached a short-term agreement between Israel and Hamas to ease violence along their common border, the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat reported Friday.
A delegation from the Egyptian intelligence service that has been shuttling between Gaza and Ramallah and which has also been meeting with Israeli officials achieved an understanding regarding a halt to the violence by Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza along the border fence with Israel, in exchange for an easing of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, according to the report.
However, the agreement does not include a halt to the processions along the border but does call for an end to any violent acts by the protesters, including the sailing of incendiary balloons and kites over the border into Israel and the use of explosives.
The protests along the border, which have frequently involved tens of thousands of demonstrators, began in March.
The Egyptian delegation has informed representatives of Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas, and in Ramallah, the seat of the Fatah party-dominated Palestinian Authority, that diplomatic efforts over the past two weeks have headed off an impending head-on confrontation and war with Israel, which had been imminent, Al-Hayat reported.
The expectation at this point is that, in exchange for Israel’s easing of the siege, all of the Palestinian factions will respect the agreement and prevent a deterioration of the situation.
According to Palestinian sources, the understandings do not constitute agreement on a long-term arrangement between Israel and Hamas, but halt the use of explosive devices directed at Israel and efforts by protesters to break through the border fence.
In return, Israel would commit to expand the fishing zone off the Gaza coast and to the supply to diesel fuel to the power plant in the coastal enclave, where residents have limited electricity supplies for much of the day.
The agreement reportedly also calls for Israel’s continued agreement to allow supplies used for United Nations-sponsored humanitarian projects in the strip to continue to be allowed into the enclave.
The Gaza Strip has been subject to restrictions not only by Israeli authorities on the movement of people and goods coming in and out of the enclave, but also by Egypt. Hamas wrested control of Gaza by force from the Palestinian Authority in 2007 following parliamentary elections that Hamas won.
As reported by Haaretz last week, Palestinian sources have said the current diplomatic efforts have been aimed at agreement on an interim plan that would lower the level of violence on the Gaza side of the border in return for specific concessions on Israel’s part on issues such as allowing fuel in or that would advance humanitarian projects.
Against the backdrop of the split between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority continues to object to any arrangement between Hamas and Israel on longer-term calm along the Gaza border that would include an opening of border crossings and bypass the Palestinian Authority.
The PA has made it clear to the Egyptians that efforts had to be made towards a Palestinian reconciliation agreement that would include a return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza.
Here’s a quote from a book about a time before WW2…..”when a ship of peace was a Man O’ War”. Another. from a naval officer looking out at their huge fleet….”that’s the best guarantee of Peace there is…”
It would be the same about an overwhelming Military.
There’s another-to me very obvious- reason you guys seem to not have considered.
The agreement has not yet been signed, and this outburst could be 1) a “hurry up” reminder….. or 2) a last typical Arab hurrah before the “armistice” horns sound….
What worries me far more is something which I commented on above, but which no one has yet picked up on.
That is the 3 Israeli reports at different time periods in the rocketing, of 33% accuracy, of 70% accuracy and 80% accuracy….. necessitating the firing of Iron Dome VERY much more than normal. it signifies that Hamas has enormously improved the accuracy of their rockets. to a very dangerous degree…..
Well, we know now the result of “halt to the violence” from Hamas… the same as usual: violient riots, 5 fakestinians dead and 85 wounded, with the added bonus of 14 rockets launched against Israel.
But I’m afraid that Israel, nevertheless, will ABIDE by its commitment and will continue “easing the blockade”. That would be despicable!
There is no real deal! Unless shooting Rockets at Israel was part of the deal.
This will be touted around the world .as an Arab victory by tiny “beleaguered” Gaza over the massive power of the Jews. It reinforces the anti-Jew frenzy and BDS, that only a little more pressure and Israel will cave in..
It shows Israel in a very bad light…with a “guilty conscience”. Puts Israel under obligation to Egypt. It does not prevent rocks and catapults…..nor truck terror which I’m sure is also connected to Hamas and others. It allows the Gaza people to feel that they themselves forced the Jews to flee.
It gives them unlimited fuel for fire-kites and more tunnels.
Does anyone think that they will keep this agreement if Israel is engaged in a Golan war…
And…….by specifying the firebomb kites/balloons, Israel has told the terrorists that they have an unstoppable weapon that the Jews are afraid of..
Of course I’m sure we got only the bare bones of the agreement….. ….it may also include all of the above, but my comment s valid as far as the info we have.
Really disgusting, with no real reasoning behind it other than that the IDF “machers” want Gaza quiet right now. They are telling the world that they are afraid to fight on 2 fronts,.(actually,1 and a 1/10th fronts) whilst telling the Israeli public that they are prepared as NEVER BEFORE for EVERY eventuality no matter what.
They fought on 3 fronts in 1967, and we know what happened then…the world has forgotten but the Arabs haven’t, they want to get even plus.