GAZA CITY — Hamas said yesterday it has told Egyptian officials it would consider a cease-fire with Israel if it lifted its blockade of the Gaza Strip and ceased military operations in all Palestinian territories. Hamas also discussed with Egyptian officials this week the possibility of a prisoner deal that could lead to the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, seized by Hamas in a 2006 raid, in exchange for Israel freeing several hundreds of Palestinians from its jails, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said.
Sources close to Hamas said Egypt, which brokered a yearlong truce between the Islamist group and Israel in 2005, had wanted to explore Hamas’ position before holding any possible talks with Israel. Leading Hamas member Mahmoud Al-Zahar traveled to Egypt on Thursday to resume talks with the Egyptian government about the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, which Hamas militants smashed open last month seeking relief from an Israeli blockade.
“Hamas said it has no objection to studying the issue if the Israeli occupation would stop all forms of aggression against our people and lift the siege,” Abu Zuhri said, reiterating Hamas’ position on a possible cease-fire. Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June after routing the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ secular Fatah forces. Israel, which is pursuing peace talks with Abbas, has since tightened sanctions on Gaza.
Palestinian militants blasted open the Rafah border wall with Egypt last month allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to pour into Egyptian north Sinai to stock up on goods in short supply due to the Israeli-led blockade. The holes were closed several days later following Hamas-Egypt talks.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Malki accused Israel yesterday of failing to meet commitments made at peace talks relaunched at a US-hosted conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November. Malki, who also called for international pressure on Israel, said “nothing has happened” since the peace talks.
“Israel maintained its policies and actions on the ground as if nothing really happened... We cannot allow Israel to behave the way it behaves, action has to be taken and international intervention has to be made,” he said in a speech to Palestinian ambassadors to European capitals. He was speaking in Ankara where he is holding talks with Turkish officials.
Palestinian leaders have voiced frustration at what they call Israel’s failure to keep its commitments to freeze Jewish settlement activity and to ease checkpoints that limit Palestinian mobility in the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas agreed in Annapolis to begin talks aimed at reaching a peace deal by the end of 2008. They also agreed to abide by a 2003 US-backed “road map” peace plan, under which Palestinians must rein in militants and Israel, among other things, must cease settlements activity.
