RAMALLAH, West Bank, 11 March 2008 — Quoting officials in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office, a media report said the premier had instructed the army to halt airstrikes and raids into the Gaza Strip following a recent drop in rocket fire from the territory. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks.
Olmert later reiterated his position that Israel has no reason to attack Gaza if the rocket attacks cease. But he denied there was a truce.
“There is no agreement. There are no negotiations, not directly and not indirectly,” Olmert said at a news conference with visiting Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek. “We don’t know if Egypt reached any agreement with Hamas. In any case, it hasn’t received a mandate from us to do so.”
However, an informal truce already appeared to be in effect.
The Israeli Army said it has not carried out airstrikes or land operations in Gaza since last Wednesday. Rocket fire fell significantly over the weekend.
During the recent lull, there have been no serious Israeli casualties from rocket fire, though Palestinians killed two Israeli soldiers last Thursday in a roadside bombing along the Gaza border.
Since Israel and Hamas refuse to speak directly to each other, any understanding would not be put in writing, defense officials said. Israel and Hamas have reached informal truces in the past, though the arrangements have unraveled.
Hamas seized control of Gaza last June from Abbas’ forces. Since then, Israel has pursued peace efforts with Abbas, who rules from the West Bank, while battling Hamas in Gaza both through military operations and an economic blockade on the area. Heavy violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel has hampered US-backed peace talks between Israel and the moderate Palestinian leadership of the West Bank. Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have set a December target for reaching a final peace deal.
Olmert Eager to Advance Peace
Olmert also told an audience yesterday that the fighting in Gaza, along with a shooting that killed eight young Jewish students at a Jerusalem seminary last week, are aimed at undermining the peace efforts.
“Their purpose is to divert us from a path of peace,” Olmert said. “There’s no chance that they will succeed.”
Despite the violence, Olmert added Israel is prepared to take a “significant, important and dramatic step” to advance peace. “We will not give up on this effort,” he said.
Abbas briefly called off peace talks last week in response to an Israeli military operation in Gaza in which more than 120 Palestinians were killed, including dozens of civilians.
— With input from agencies
