From the CBS evening news... what could a country do with 90 million dollars to help its citizens? JERUSALEM - Israel and Hamas on Monday accepted an Egyptian cease-fire proposal meant to halt a month long war, signaling an end to the bloodiest round of fighting between the bitter enemies could finally be approaching. The sides said a preliminary 72-hour truce was to begin at 8 a.m. ( 1 a.m. EDT) Tuesday. Egypt was then set to host indirect talks to work out a long-term truce over the next three days. At 8 a.m. local time tomorrow a cease-fire starts and Israel will cease all military operations against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, said Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev. Israel will honor the cease-fire and will be watching to see if Hamas does to. Fighting in Gaza continues A delegation of Palestinian officials from various factions, including Hamas, has been negotiating with Egypt in recent days. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the group had accepted the plan. Its clear now that the interest of all parties is to have a cease-fire, said Bassam Salhi, a member of the Palestinian delegation. Its going to be tough negotiations because Israel has demands too. Several previous cease-fires have collapsed, including a similar plan for a 72-hour truce that broke down last Friday in heavy fighting. Both sides blamed each other. The war broke out on July 8 when Israel launched an air campaign in response to heavy rocket fire out of Hamas-controlled Gaza. Israel expanded the operation by sending in ground forces on July 17 in what it described as a mission to destroy a network of tunnels used by Hamas militants to stage attacks. The army said it is close to destroying the last of the tunnels. Inside the tunnels: Israel vows to destroy Hamas underground network The Israel Defense Force said Monday it has demolished more than 30 tunnels leading into Israel. Israeli soldiers showed CBS News Charlie DAgata one such tunnel, dug 50 feed beneath a dusty Israeli potato farm. The tunnel was more than 2 miles long. It started inside Gaza and stretched about three-quarters of a mile inside Israeli territory. It was equipped with electricity and phone cables. Constructed of steel-reinforced concrete, the tunnel was nearly 6 feet high and 3 feet wide. IDF Capt. Daniel Elbo told CBS News the tunnel exit was near an Israeli community. They were pretty close, he said. They needed a few more meters. It could have been a matter of some days. The elaborate system has an estimated cost of $90 million -- a huge price tag when there is 40 percent unemployment in Gaza, DAgata reported.Meanwhile, President Barack Obama signed a $225 million package Monday to replenish Israels Iron Dome missile defense system. The bill was passed by Congress on Friday.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 23:54:09 +0000
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