Spring Break
Hamas prepared for 1-year truce with open borders
Associated Press
Issue date: 2/4/09 Section: News
CAIRO (AP) - Hamas officials said Tuesday they are ready to commit to a cease-fire with Israel for at least a year in exchange for a full opening of Gaza's borders, as the group began a new round of truce talks with Egyptian mediators.
At the same time, foreign ministers of pro-U.S. Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, met in the United Arab Emirates in a show of unity in support for Egypt's efforts to forge a long-term truce and against Iran, Hamas' most important ally.
Egypt is trying to mediate a durable cease-fire in place of the temporary and increasingly wobbly truce that ended the Gaza war last month. It has set a Thursday deadline for the Islamic militant rulers of Gaza to accept a deal.
But the complicated details of an accord appeared unresolved with border security arrangements a key obstacle.
"There is an agreement in principle about a calm for one year," said Ahmed Abdel-Hadi, a Lebanon-based Hamas official. "But the movement could show flexibility regarding the time ... if there are guarantees and commitments to lift the sanctions and open the borders," he told Gaza's Al Quds Radio, signaling the possibility of extending the truce beyond one year.
Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said the Palestinian group is open to extending the cease-fire for 18 months.
Abdel-Hadi said Hamas rejects a gradual opening of the border crossings or linking a truce deal to a release of Israeli soldier Sgt. Gilad Schalit, held by Hamas-allied militants in Gaza since June 2006.
"We are going to deal with all the issues as one package, because we are going to avoid the trap of gradual implementation," he said.
Hamas demands that any truce include the opening of borders into Gaza, which Israel and Egypt have largely kept sealed since the group seized control of the territory from the rival Fatah faction in 2007.
Hamas also wants a role in administering the border crossings in recognition of its power in Gaza.
At the same time, foreign ministers of pro-U.S. Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, met in the United Arab Emirates in a show of unity in support for Egypt's efforts to forge a long-term truce and against Iran, Hamas' most important ally.
Egypt is trying to mediate a durable cease-fire in place of the temporary and increasingly wobbly truce that ended the Gaza war last month. It has set a Thursday deadline for the Islamic militant rulers of Gaza to accept a deal.
But the complicated details of an accord appeared unresolved with border security arrangements a key obstacle.
"There is an agreement in principle about a calm for one year," said Ahmed Abdel-Hadi, a Lebanon-based Hamas official. "But the movement could show flexibility regarding the time ... if there are guarantees and commitments to lift the sanctions and open the borders," he told Gaza's Al Quds Radio, signaling the possibility of extending the truce beyond one year.
Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said the Palestinian group is open to extending the cease-fire for 18 months.
Abdel-Hadi said Hamas rejects a gradual opening of the border crossings or linking a truce deal to a release of Israeli soldier Sgt. Gilad Schalit, held by Hamas-allied militants in Gaza since June 2006.
"We are going to deal with all the issues as one package, because we are going to avoid the trap of gradual implementation," he said.
Hamas demands that any truce include the opening of borders into Gaza, which Israel and Egypt have largely kept sealed since the group seized control of the territory from the rival Fatah faction in 2007.
Hamas also wants a role in administering the border crossings in recognition of its power in Gaza.
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