Palestinians walk amid the ruins of destroyed homes in the Shejaia neighbourhood, which witnesses said was heavily hit by Israeli shelling and air strikes during an Israeli offensive, in Gaza City August 6, 2014. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly
Gaza Ceasefire Holds On Second Day, Extension Talks Under Way -- Reuters
(Reuters) - A 72-hour Gaza truce held through its second day on Wednesday and Israel said it was ready to extend the deal as Egyptian mediators pursued talks with Israelis and Palestinians on an enduring end to a war that devastated the Hamas-ruled enclave.
Egypt's intelligence chief met a Palestinian delegation in Cairo, the state news agency MENA said, a day after he conferred with Israeli representatives. The Palestinian team, led by an official from Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party, includes envoys from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group.
"The indirect talks between the Palestinians and Israelis are moving forward," one Egyptian official said, making clear that the opposing sides were not meeting face to face. "It is still too early to talk about outcomes but we are optimistic."
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Update: Israel offers Gaza truce extension but Hamas rejection reported -- BBC
My Comment: I expect the ceasefire to hold .... the people in Gaza are exhausted after one month of war, and on the Israeli side .... all of their military objectives have been reached. So for both sides .... the stomach to continue the fight at this moment in time is no longer there.
1 comment:
The analysis seems correct, but don't hold your breath for the round to not re-ignite.
Israel was willing to resume the extended ceasefire from day one.
Hamas however is desperate for cash which has been lacking, with the added focus that the Europeans to Palestinian corruption and use of the money to fund terrorist infrastructure (as reveled by a recent report to the EU Parliament), and the Arab world is completely apathetic to the "Palestinian Problem (TM)" While a real islamic civil war is waging in Iraq and Syria and no regime feels safe.
Masha'al and Abu Marzuk are desperate to continue lining their pockets and increase their worth in the eyes of the Qatari regime, Hamas Gaza is desperate to resume cash and weapon flows from outside to maintain their stronghold on society, and Abbas is desperate to have the Europeans continue funding his corrupt web of patronage.
Don't put it beyond this Gordian Knot to continue the Disco Party.
After all, scenes of destruction and dead babies are good for buisness.
Sigh...
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