Israel and Hamas ceasefire leads to more talks, terrorists still refusing to disarm

Israel and the terrorist group Hamas are once again under a 72-hour ceasefire, as world leaders push for the opposing sides to negotiate a permanent peace agreement and end the month-long conflict. The ceasefire was issued Sunday night in order for the injured to seek medical treatment. 

 

Leaders of the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas planned to travel to Cairo for another round of negotiations Monday. Previous takls have not been accepted by the Hamas leadership calling for access to Israel and the removal of the Egyptian and Israeli blockade.

 

Israel is calling for Hamas to destroy their cache of weapons which includes an arsenal of several thousand rockets. 

 

Palestinian spokesman Qais Abdelkarim said that this round of negotiations have a “hope of reaching a lasting ceasefire.” 

 

An anonymous Palestinian negotiator said, “We might not get everything we want, particularly on freedom of movement. But we believe the Israelis and the world have gotten the point that Gazans should live normally and things should be much better than today.”

 

The negotiator said that a partial relief of the blockade would be acceptable, but Hamas has given no indication that the group would be willing to disarm. 

 

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said, “”They want to get legitimacy as a terrorist organization without accepting the requirements of the international community.”

The recent fighting has been the heaviest between Israel and Hamas since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. More than 1,900 Palestinians have been killed, including hundreds of civilians. On the Israeli side, 67 people have been killed, including three civilians. Nearly 10,000 people have been wounded and thousands of homes destroyed.

One of the most recent ceasefire only lasted a little over an hour when Hamas kidnapped an Israeli soldier and then the group opened fire and killed two other Israelis.