Hamas, Islamic Jihad leaders say truce efforts failed, Mesha'al in Tehran demands an immediate end of the Gaza siege

Mesha'al, in Tehran: End the siege of Gaza now

Date: 24 / 05 / 2008 Time: 14:10
Bethlehem – Ma'an -

Khaled Mesha'al, the exiled chairman of the political bureau of Hamas, said that the Palestinians insist on an end of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, warning that if the international community does not intervene, the Palestinian people will consider "other choices."

Mesha'al said at a press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Tehran on Saturday: "We in Hamas and the resistance forces and all the forces supporting the Palestinian people insist on breaking the siege on the Gaza Strip, and if the international community and parties does not intervene to break the siege, Palestinians have other choices."

"We insist on opening the crossings, especially Rafah crossing first," Mesha'al said, saying that the crossing should be under full Palestinian-Egyptian control, without the involvement of Israel.

Mesha'al blamed Israel and the United States for the failure of efforts to reconcile the rival Hamas and Fatah movements: "The Israelis and the Americans prevented Palestinian reconciliation and they prefer that Palestinians stay divided."

Responding to a question concerning Turkish-mediated negotiations between Israel and Syria, Mesha'al said that Syria is hoping to regain its territory, and will not give up its support for Palestinians' rights. On the other hand, he said that he has "serious doubts" about Israel's willingness to relinquish the Golan Heights.

Mesha'al praised the the Palestinian people who "do not bend in front of the invasions, Israeli aggression, starvation, and the siege."

The Iranian Foreign Minister expressed his country's support for Palestinian resistance and expressed Tehran's support for the Palestinian people to regain their rights.

He accused the American administration of George W Bush of complicity in "crimes committed against the Palestinian people."

Senior Israeli official heads to Egypt for truce talks

Date: 24 / 05 / 2008 Time: 11:39
Gaza – Ma'an –

Amos Gilad, the chief of the political-military bureau in the Israeli Defense Ministry will head to Cairo on Saturday afternoon for further consultation with Egyptian mediators regarding ceasefire talks with Hamas, Israeli radio reported.

Gilad will meet Umar Sulaiman, the Egyptian intelligence chief who is leading the mediation effort.

Israeli political officials said that they were still waiting for a clear response from Hamas to an Egyptian proposal. Hamas leaders returned to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday for a round of internal talks about the ceasefire plan.

Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Metan Vilnai told Israeli radio that Israel is doing all that is possible to put an end to what he called "Palestinian attacks" and stressed that Israel does not negotiate with (Palestinian resistance organizations) but is making contact with Egypt in this regard to in order achieve calm.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad leaders say truce efforts failed

Sunday May 25, 2008 01:12 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Two leaders of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movements stated on Saturday that the Egyptian efforts to achieving a truce deal between the Palestinian resistance and Israel have failed due to Israeli preconditions and stances which reject to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Hamas Movement

The two leaders added that Israel is rejecting some of the articles of a truce offer which was presented by Egypt. They added that although they had several reservations on the offer, the two movements will not obstruct efforts to achieve a progress which would ease the suffering of the people.

Nafith Azzam, one of the leaders of the Islamic Jihad, said that his movement wants the suffering of the people to end.

He also stated that negotiations with Israel would not bring any positive outcome to the Palestinian people, and called on president Mahmoud Abbas, to completely halt negotiations with Israel especially since it is ongoing with its attacks against the Palestinian people and their land.

Azzam also stated that the siege on Gaza aims at pushing the Palestinian people to surrender their rights and their legitimate resistance. He added that this siege is a low death to the residents.

Ismail Radwan, one of the prominent leaders of Hamas, said that all efforts to achieve a trice deal are continuously obstructed by Israeli obstacles, adding that “the occupation wants a free truce, without opening the border crossing, and without ending the siege on Gaza”.

He also said that the Palestinians will remain steadfast and will not grant Israeli any free truce or concessions.

Radwan called on the Arab League and the Arab Ministerial Committee to implement their decisions to break the siege on Gaza.

He further said that the League practiced efforts to end the internal fighting in Lebanon and should now practice the same efforts to restore the Palestinian unity and to accelerate the opening of the Rafah Border Crossing between Gaza and Egypt in order to provide Gaza with the needed supplies.

Radwan demanded president Abbas to initiate talks between all factions without any preconditions in accordance to the Cairo agreement, the Mecca agreement and the National Unity Document.

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