#GazaNews JERUSALEM — After a brief, one-sided cease-fire, Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip resumed on Tuesday the all-too-familiar rhythm of their latest battle: Over 100 rockets sent Israelis scrambling for shelter, Israeli airstrikes pounded tunnels and rocket launchers, and diplomats wrung their hands. But Egypt’s failed effort to halt the hostilities did help clarify crucial differences from previous go-rounds that experts say make a resolution much more complicated to achieve. A simple return to the status quo, a “quiet for quiet” deal, no longer seems sufficient. Not for Hamas, the isolated Islamist faction that dominates Gaza and is desperate for economic relief for the coastal territory’s 1.7 million residents. And not for Israel, where there are growing calls for an international effort to disarm the Gaza militants or for Israel’s military to seize control of the area. Even Egypt’s reclaiming of its traditional role as broker showed how much things had changed, with the new leadership in Cairo ending up closer to Israel’s position than to that of Hamas. Israel embraced Egypt’s proposal, which demanded few concessions of it, while Hamas seemed stunned by terms that did not meet any of its demands and refused to hold its fire.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 05:56:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015