CAIRO (AP) — Palestinian negotiators on Sunday said they had accepted an Egyptian proposal for a new 72-hour truce with Israel, clearing the way for a possible resumption of talks on a long-term cease-fire arrangement in the Gaza Strip.
Israel had walked away from cease-fire talks over the weekend, after militants resumed their rocket fire on southern Israel with the expiration of an earlier three-day truce. Sunday’s decision was aimed at bringing the Israelis back to the negotiations. There was no immediate Israeli response.
“We are here to look for an agreement. We cannot have an agreement without talks, so we accepted an Egyptian proposal to have a cease-fire for 72 hours in order to resume the talks,” said a Palestinian negotiator.
He, along with other Palestinian negotiators who confirmed the decision, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations with the media.
The Egyptian-mediated talks are aimed at brokering a long-term truce arrangement between Israel and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip following the heaviest fighting between the bitter enemies since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.
In nearly a month of fighting, more than 1,900 Palestinians were killed, including hundreds of civilians, nearly 10,000 were wounded and thousands of homes destroyed. Sixty-seven people were killed on the Israeli side, including three civilians.
The fighting ended in a temporary 72-hour cease-fire last Tuesday, during which Egypt had hoped to mediate a longer-term agreement. But when the three-day window expired, militants resumed their rocket fire, sparking new Israeli reprisals. The violence has continued throughout the weekend, albeit not as strong as at the height of the fighting.
Earlier Sunday, Palestinians threatened to quit the negotiations if Israel did not return, while Israeli leaders said there would be no talks while the rocket fire continues.
“Israel will not negotiate under fire,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, warning his country’s military campaign “will take time.”
Hamas is seeking an end to an Israeli-Egypt blockade that has decimated the local economy.
Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent arms smuggling, and it says Hamas must disarm as part of any long-term arrangement. Hamas has said handing over its weapons arsenal, which is believed to include several thousand remaining rockets, is inconceivable.
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Laub reported from Gaza City, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo, Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, and Daniel Estrin in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Zionism has failed. The entire Jewish population of Israel should emigrate to the United States.
I don’t know why the UN, the British, and the Americans could not see what a mistake they were making by forcing a Jewish state in the Middle East. It had been 2,500 - 2,700 years since they had controlled ancient Israel, or occupied it. Some Jews were living in Palestine before the partition without a lot of fuss.They should’ve proposed a Jewish state in Palestine and when the Arabs went nuts, drawn up a UN enforced guarantee of Jewish right to peacefully coexist there as in the past. And to also have access to all their holy sites till the end of time. Then, a Jewish state should have been created near the Ukraine - Poland border. They are big enough so that a Jewish state slightly smaller than New Jersey would’ve been doable. 90% of all world Jews are Ashkenazi and have deeper roots in this region. Hell, the USSR at the time was about the same size as the entire continent of North America, a little spot of land should’ve been doable. Half a million Jews fought in the Red Army against Germany,160,000 of whom received medals for their bravery and their service. Damn the Zionists,a tiny smidgen of the USSR empire should’ve been pushed for.
Israel’s 1948 founding was steeped in bloodshed and injustice. Germany cannot deny the holocaust any more than Israel can deny Nakba. I doubt there will ever be peace for Israel or that its current regime even wants peace.
I was vaccinated against polio in 1959 or 1960 thanks to Jonas Salk, a selfless Jew who saved me and other millions from polio. I’m not anti-Semitic because I don’t approve of Israel’s illegal, immoral occupation, or their recent extreme right-wing turn. I’m just tired of hearing of the continual hate and bloodshed on both sides without an end in sight.