Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., February 10, 2008 Adar1 4, 5768 | | Israel Time: 17:25 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
A Palestinian shouting on Wednesday during the funeral of Hamas militants killed in an IDF strike Tuesday, in southern Gaza.(Reuters)
Last update - 21:50 07/02/2008
Hamas rejects Abbas proposal to broker cease-fire with Israel
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: israel, rockets 

The Hamas rejected on Thursday a proposal put forth by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to broker a cease-fire between the Islamist group and Israel.

Abbas' proposition came shortly after seven Palestinians were killed Thursday, including six militants, in an Israel Defense Forces operation in the northern Gaza Strip, as Gaza militants fired at least ten Qassam rockets and eight mortar shells at southern Israel.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum described the proposal as "an extortion attempt" and said that Abbas allows Israel to continue its "massacre."
Advertisement
Meanwhile, the IDF released footage Thursday documenting its discovery of underground tunnels used by Gaza militants to conceal rocket launchers used to attack southern Israel.

The tunnels enable rocket squads to hide from IDF drones hovering above, and set timers on the Qassams which will then go off at a later time, making it much harder for Israel to target the militants.

According to security sources, the Palestinian militants received the operational know-how for the tunnels from Hezbollah.

Hamas in Iran: Expect terror wave in Israel

Israel can expect a wave of suicide bombings inside its 1967 borders, not just the West Bank, Hamas' representative in Iran said Wednesday. The announcement came as Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip launched a barrage of Qassam rockets into Israel.

In a statement on Hamas' Internet site signed by the organization's delegate to Iran, Dr. Abu-Osama Abed Al-Ma'ati, the suicide attack that occurred earlier this week in Dimona was described as the beginning of a new wave of similar actions.

"We ceased to carry out these attack for a year, but the enemy persisted with its aggression and the violations to the cease-fire. The Dimona attack is a message. That message is that Iz al-Din al-Qassam has renewed the suicide attacks," the message said, referring to the Islamist organization's military wing.

Senior Hamas officials have said that the organization uses such online announcements to declare a change in tactics or policy. Showing consistency with the organization's line from Iran, Hamas' spokesmen in Gaza said the organization will continue to mount "resistance" and carry on with the suicide attacks.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri defended the Dimona attack, which killed a 73-year-old Israeli woman. "There is no choice, no option for our people, but to resist the occupation and defend themselves by all possible means," he said.

Defense officials told Haaretz they view the announcement as a significant change because it comes from the organization's representative to Tehran - which has in recent weeks been pressuring Hamas to escalate hostilities against Israel.

In recent months, the Gaza Strip has seen the smuggling of Iranian Katyusha rockets. Since Hamas last month toppled the border fence separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt, Iranian-trained experts in terrorist activities have reentered the Strip, where Hamas has enjoyed sovereignty since it staged a bloody coup d'etat last June.

The renewal of suicide attacks in Israel as a matter of policy - as opposed to sporadic attempts by individual terrorists - fits in with the line the organization's military wing has been trying to promote.

Military-wing officials believe that the organization should escalate all hostilities against Israel, including suicide attacks, rocket launches and strikes at settlements in the West Bank.

Hamas has also stepped up its involvement in firing rockets into Israel over the past couple of days. In parallel with ordering militants to launch several Katyusha rockets at Ashkelon on Tuesday, Hamas' political officials have lowered their public profile. Defense officials in Jerusalem said this was done to minimize the risk of Hamas officials being killed in strikes by the IAF.

Despite the fresh upsurge in fighting, a poll released Wednesday showed Hamas gaining a jump in popularity after breaking down the border wall at Rafah on January 23. The move gave Gaza's quarantined people a 12-day taste of freedom before Egypt closed the breaches on Sunday.

While Hamas gains popularity and clout among Palestinians by breaking Israel's stranglehold on Gaza, even temporarily, Mahmoud Abbas' West Bank administration is strikebound - civil servants walked off the job Tuesday in a two-day protest against a new regulation aimed at forcing West Bank Palestinians to pay millions of dollars in back utility bills. Despite Hamas' increased popularity, Abbas' rival Fatah movement held on to its lead, according to an independent Palestinian poll published Wednesday.

The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research said a survey it carried out between January 23 - the day of the border breach - and February 3 showed a 6-point rise in support for Hamas, to 39 percent compared with 33 percent in a poll carried out in mid-December. The latest survey showed support for Fatah falling to 46 percent from December's 52 percent.

Related articles:
  • Two children lightly hurt in Qassam strike on Negev kibbutz
  • IDF kills nine Hamas men in Gaza, Qassams rain on Sderot
  • 25 Qassams fired at Israel after deadly IDF Gaza raid
  • Hamas claims responsibility for suicide bombing in Dimona
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Will power
    Shas Minister Yitzhak Cohen says only a complete Gaza power cut will bring results.
    The cost of security
    U.S. estimate: Preparing Palestinian security forces for statehood will cost $7 billion.
      1.   Israel`s Indifference To Jewish Lives 03:28  |  Norman F Birnberg 07/02/08
      2.   So much for "occupation" excuse 03:36  |  not surprised 07/02/08
      3.   This is news, the liars keep lying 03:41  |  Doc Holliday 07/02/08
      4.   Calling Harry Truman 04:06  |  Yosemite 07/02/08
      5.   Declare war on Hamas 04:10  |  will 07/02/08
      6.   ENTIRE CONFLICT EXPLAINED IN LESS THAN 20 LINES 04:24  |  G. Marcus 07/02/08
      7.   Resisting the "Occupation"? 04:28  |  AL 07/02/08
      8.   Hamas gaining a jump in popularity 04:37  |  akiva (zionist) 07/02/08
      9.   annihilate!!!Hamas 04:40  |  akiva (zionist) 07/02/08
      10.   attacks coming 04:43  |  Shmuelshachor 07/02/08
      11.   Hamas will now initiate attacks, with Iran`s help 04:49  |  Earthling 07/02/08
      12.   Killem all already 04:50  |  Dudu 07/02/08
      13.   Not to worry 05:02  |  Bitin Dawg 07/02/08
      14.   Status Quo Ante was better 05:12  |  Shlomo 07/02/08
      15.   Basic Human needs 05:18  |  I have no more hints 07/02/08
      16.   The causality of occupation.... 05:23  |  POP 07/02/08
      17.   excellent post, "not surprised" 05:43  |  jj 07/02/08
      18.   Russia and US cannot ignore Iran threat 05:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/02/08
      19.   Hamas Versus Israel 05:54  |  George W. Bush 07/02/08
      20.   Gaza Rockets and Hamas and Iran 06:00  |  Bruce 07/02/08
      21.   4 terrorists killed 06:00  |  Edifice 07/02/08
      22.   Norman F Birnberg 06:09  |  Just Tiredofitall 07/02/08
      23.   Cycle of Violence 06:27  |  Natallie Durson 07/02/08
      24.   Collective Punishment -- Religion of Peace Style 06:51  |  Mahmoud 07/02/08
      25.   israel refused cease fire june 2006 07:04  |  solitarioh 07/02/08
      26.   Homicide Bombing 07:28  |  Ron 07/02/08
      27.   Keep Killing Them 07:37  |  MarkC 07/02/08
      28.   SOLITARIOH.HAMAS refused PEACE from day one.Caesefire gives them 07:47  |  PETER SM 07/02/08
      29.   Why does Israel hire Palestinians to kill Jews 07:48  |  George 07/02/08
      30.   Fight the terrorists. 07:49  |  Harold Lane 07/02/08
      31.   #5 George W Bush from Washington: Destruction of Israel or ... 08:04  |  Hillary Clinton 07/02/08
      32.   To solitarioh #7 08:05  |  dovale 07/02/08
      33.   Hamas provokes Israel again 08:11  |  AL 07/02/08
      34.   #1, Norman Birnberg... 08:23  |  Silvienne 07/02/08
      35.   #4, Cipora.... 08:26  |  Silvienne 07/02/08
      36.   HAMAS targets&kills civillians.Israel targets Hamas "militants" 08:33  |  PETER SM 07/02/08
      37.   Time 08:42  |  Arab 07/02/08
      38.   May G-D Comfort Families Of Palestinian Martyrs 09:03  |  Satmar Hasid 07/02/08
      39.   I am seriously worried there is not enough vergins in paradice 09:10  |  Ron 07/02/08
      40.   Grind them down until they start thinking 09:10  |  Mike 07/02/08
      41.   Iran` Terror Hamas Org`s delegate Dr. Abu-Osama Abed Al-Ma`ati, 09:14  |  Joseph . E 07/02/08
      42.   Special Report: The Hamas Propaganda War 09:16  |  Joseph E . post 1 07/02/08
      43.   A `cycle of violence`? 09:18  |  Joseph E . post 2 07/02/08
      44.   Who turned off the lights? 09:19  |  Joseph E . Post 3 07/02/08
      45.   What`s the current kill ratio? 09:19  |  Sad 07/02/08
      46.   A `spontaneous breakout`? 09:20  |  Joseph E . Post 4 07/02/08
      47.   SOLITARIOH TRUCE as opposed to PEACE that is refused by Hamas 09:20  |  PETER SM 07/02/08
      48.   `Starving` Palestinians and a humanitarian crisis? 09:21  |  Joseph E . Post 5 07/02/08
      49.   Will the media relent? 09:22  |  Joseph E . Post 6 07/02/08
      50.   Full contact details of many media outlets 09:24  |  Joseph E . Post 7 07/02/08
      51.   Solitaroh- a hudna is not a cease fire 09:28  |  Stephen in New York 07/02/08
      52.   I suggest Gazans flee to Egypt 09:31  |  Motke Chabad 07/02/08
      53.   Cipora-indifference to the Iranian threat 09:34  |  Stephen in New York 07/02/08
      54.   Cipora Juliana Kohn. Russia is happy to supply uranium to Iran. 09:40  |  Maureen Ann 07/02/08
      55.   #13, Arab, face the truth 09:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/02/08
      56.   Get the facts right please 09:53  |  Natallie Durson 07/02/08
      57.   Wake Up People - Find Some Wise Leaders 10:04  |  Markus 07/02/08
      58.   To Joseph E 10:13  |  Markus 07/02/08
      59.   GRIND THEM DOWN LIKE HAMBURGER! 10:19  |  Dan Fandango 07/02/08
      60.   terror was nude in old days 11:23  |  ... 07/02/08
      61.   Its Obvious 11:34  |  Zen 07/02/08
      62.   #32, Stephen, NY 11:36  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/02/08
      63.   Hamas` strategy: Kill Old Ladies 11:37  |  US CITIZEN 07/02/08
      64.   #33, Maureen Ann 11:43  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/02/08
      65.   IRAN wanted peace. 11:53  |  fides 07/02/08
      66.   Israel`s intransigence prevents Peace 11:57  |  Concerned Onlooker 07/02/08
      67.   Get your body bags ready and label them IDF 12:07  |  Dutch 07/02/08
      68.   The winner is violence and not the the vision to have 12:19  |  Karl 07/02/08
      69.   israel= first and biggest terrorist 12:23  |  yournamehere