Home>News Center>World
         
 

Hamas leader raises hope for cease-fire
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-26 10:13

Hamas' top leader said Tuesday that his group is ready to suspend attacks on Israel if it stops targeting militant leaders and releases Palestinian prisoners, raising hopes for a cease-fire that could end four years of conflict.


Palestinian youths of the Hamas movement participate in a rally in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, Tuesday Jan. 25, 2005. [AP]

In another move pointing to a possible end to violence, Palestinian and Israeli generals met to discuss deploying Palestinian police in southern Gaza to stop militants from attacking Israelis. After the meeting, a Palestinian official said the deployment would begin Thursday.

The apparent softening of Hamas' position raised hopes Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas would soon reach a formal truce with militant groups that could lead to a new round of peace talks with Israel.

Speaking to AP in Beirut, Lebanon, by cellular phone from an undisclosed location, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said the success of the truce effort depended on Israel.

"This is a moment of test," said Mashaal, who is based in Damascus, Syria. "It puts the responsibility on the international community and the United States to force Israel to recognize the Palestinian rights."

"If the Zionist enemy (Israel) abides by certain conditions, such as releasing all prisoners and detainees and halting all acts of killing, assassination and aggression against our people inside and outside (the Palestinian territories), the general national position of all Palestinian factions has become that they are ready to positively deal with the idea of a temporary truce," Mashaal said.

Mashaal warned that Hamas would respond to any Israeli attacks.

A senior Hamas leader in the West Bank has said the group agreed to suspend attacks for 30 days to test Israel's response, while other Hamas members emphasized that a truce deal was not complete.

Israel's government has refused to guarantee it will not pursue militants, but has said it will respond to calm with calm.


Two Palestinian girl wear Hamas head-bands as they attend a Hamas rally in the Deir al-Balah refugee camp in Gaza Strip, January 25, 2005. [Reuters]

After nightfall Tuesday, the Palestinian public security commander, Maj. Gen. Moussa Arafat, met with the Israeli commander in Gaza, Brig. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, at the Erez crossing point between Israel and Gaza, their second session in a week.

They discussed plans for a police deployment in southern Gaza at the two-hour meeting, which came just days after some 3,000 Palestinian police deployed in northern Gaza to guard against militant rocket attacks on Israeli communities. No rockets or mortar shells have hit Israeli communities since last week.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat told AP that beginning Thursday, police would take up positions near Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza — frequent flashpoints of clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants. He said another security meeting was expected Wednesday.

Erekat also said he had been in touch by phone with aides of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) to prepare for a possible meeting with Abbas. He said contacts with Israel were going well, but the two sides had not begun to discuss the agenda for a meeting.

Erekat also met Tuesday with Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres, leader of the dovish Labor Party.

Speaking before Israel's parliament Tuesday, Sharon harshly criticized opponents of his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and dismantle four West Bank settlements by this summer.

Sharon said that "in the past year, there has been an upsurge of voices threatening the integrity of Israeli democracy." Without mentioning the pullback plan, Sharon complained that a minority in Israel was unwilling to accept the will of the majority.

Settler leaders said Tuesday that new residents were moving in to the settlements scheduled for evacuation. They said 400 people had joined southern Gaza settlements in the last six months and dozens had moved into the four small West Bank settlements on the evacuation list.

Government figures released previously put the population of the 21 Gaza settlements and four West Bank enclaves at about 8,800. Israeli TV stations have broadcast reports about hard-line opponents of the pullout moving into the targeted settlements.



 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Spring Festival peak travel jams railways

 

   
 

China's economy grows 9.5% in 2004

 

   
 

Migrant proposal sparks hot debate

 

   
 

Freed hostages leave Amman for home

 

   
 

China step up efforts to gird for bird flu

 

   
 

Stampede at Hindu procession kills 150

 

   
  Hamas leader raises hope for cease-fire
   
  Stampede at Hindu procession kills 150
   
  U.S. hostage pleads for life in Iraq video
   
  German Chancellor laments Nazi death camp
   
  11 policemen killed in Baghdad clashes
   
  Michael Moore, Mel Gibson snubbed by Oscars
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 在线看片中文字幕| 日本污视频网站| 伊人婷婷综合缴情亚洲五月 | 日本尹人综合香蕉在线观看| 亚洲另类无码专区丝袜| 狠狠色综合网站久久久久久久| 四虎精品成人免费影视| 领导边摸边吃奶边做爽在线观看| 国产精品538一区二区在线| 91人人区免费区人人| 在线观看无码AV网站永久免费| 一个人的突击队3电影在线观看| 成全动漫视频在线观看免费高清| 久久久国产99久久国产久| 日韩精品一区二区三区免费视频| 亚洲乱人伦中文字幕无码| 欧美日韩精品一区二区三区高清视频| 亚洲视频一区在线观看| 福利一区福利二区| 公天天吃我奶躁我的在线观看| 美女久久久久久| 四虎国产精品永久在线网址| 草草影院地址ccyycom浮力影院37| 国产午夜精品一二区理论影院| 国产精品你懂得| 国产探花视频在线观看| 欧美色图你懂的| 国产福利一区二区三区在线观看| 香蕉视频黄色在线观看| 国产精品日韩欧美一区二区三区| 91精品免费国产高清在线| 国语free性xxxxxhd| 99国内精品久久久久久久| 夜夜高潮夜夜爽国产伦精品| aⅴ精品无码无卡在线观看| 女人高潮内射99精品| wwwxxx日本| 好爽好深胸好大好多水视频| 一个人看的视频在线| 好男人观看免费视频播放全集| 一二三四日本高清社区5|