Highlights of the Egyptian Initiative for truce and reconciliation

Monday February 02, 2009 01:55 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Arabs48 news website quoted a political Palestinian source saying that the Egyptian initiative for truce contains several stages that end with forming a National Unity Government, opening the crossings and rebuilding Gaza.

Hamas movement still has some reservations on the initiative, especially an article which talks about a prisoners-swap deal linked with moving towards stage 2 of the initiative which includes opening border terminals.

Hamas also demands the release of political prisoners, held by Fat'h in the West Bank, before agreeing to the deal.

The new initiative, if accepted, offers 18 months of truce, starting on February 5, the slated day for its official declaration.

The truce consists of the following stages:

First, one month of ceasefire, and Israel should partially open the crossings and should open the Rafah terminal for humanitarian purposes.

In this stage, Israel would allow the entry of 70% of the basic humanitarian needs. The Palestinians should also vow to stop the smuggling into Gaza and Israel would start preparing mechanisms for European and American monitoring of the borders in order to stop the smuggling of arms and supplies.

Second stage, talks that aim at achieving a prisoner swap deal parallel with internal Palestinian talks to achieve reconciliation and forming a national unity government.

Third stage, fully opening all border crossings including the Rafah terminal.

Fourth stage, rebuilding Gaza after forming a unity government.

It is still unclear what solution would be offered for monitoring Gaza’s coast. Several European countries offered to monitor the Gaza coast as Israeli presence in the area would not be accepted by the Palestinians since it constitutes another form of occupation.

Israel is demanding the establishment of a “security belt” around the Gaza Strip. The belt will push 500 meters into Gaza along the borders and no gunmen would be allowed to enter this suggested zone.  

Political analysts said that the initiative places Hamas under two main pressure points; first, starting internal talks, possibly forced to accept solution, in exchange for rebuilding Gaza, and second, being forced to achieve a prisoner swap deal in exchange for opening the crossings.

On Saturday, delegates of Hamas ended talks with Egyptian officials. The talks were described by Egypt as positive.

Egypt said that a progress was made towards national reconciliation and rebuilding Gaza, and asked the Palestinian resistance groups to respond to this initiative before February 5.

Egypt is expected to invite all Palestinian factions to start comprehensive reconciliation talks in Cairo on February 22.

Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmad Abu Al Gheit, said that the current talks in Cairo witnessed a positive development, and added that a permanent ceasefire could be declared in the first week of February. Such a declaration, if made, will lead to the second stage of the initiative which calls for opening border terminals.

Abu Al Gheit added that if the first and the second stages of the initiative were conducted, the last week of February will witness talks on rebuilding Gaza, and then preparations for the peace process would be conducted in cooperation with the US Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell.

On the ground, dozens of residents of Rafah and Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, said on Sunday evening that they received phone calls from the Israeli military ordering them to leave their homes, especially in areas were Palestinian gunmen are present.

On Sunday evening, the Israeli terrorist army shelled a Palestinian police station in Rafah. The army also shelled several areas close to the border. Israel claimed that the shelling came after Palestinian resistance fired homemade shells into adjacent Israeli areas.

Arab media reports that Hamas has accepted Egyptian Initiative

Monday February 02, 2009 02:39 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

According to reports published by several Arab media outlets, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has accepted the Egyptian Initiative for a truce starting this week. According to the reports, Hamas accepted the deployment of Palestinian Authority forces, loyal to president Mahmoud Abbas, at the crossings, and that Israel agreed not to intervene in the operation of the crossings.

The Rafah border crossing would be opened on Thursday if all agreements of the truce are approved, and Israel would be expected to declare a one-year truce brokered by Egypt.

Hamas delegates will be heading to Cairo on Monday in order to clarify the movement’s overall response to the initiative, especially Hamas’ position regarding some clauses referring to the truce.  An official response from Hamas is expected to be announced after the visit.

Palestinian sources reported that Hamas has agreed to the deployment of Palestinian Security forces at the Rafah crossing, under the condition that its government is able to dispatch inspectors to the crossing, and coordinate border activities with security forces.

Israeli Ynet News reported on Sunday that Israel has agreed not to intervene in the operation of the Rafah Border terminal, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Husam Zaki, spokesperson of Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, refused to confirm the report, and said that the outcome of the Egyptian efforts to achieve a truce would be officially declared on Monday.

The issue of the captured soldier, Gilad Shalit, and the release of Palestinian detainees in exchange for his release, is expected to be addressed in future political negotiations, and not as part of this official initiative.

Ynet News added that Nabil Abu Rodeina, spokesperson for the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said that the president would be heading to Cairo on Monday.  The declaration was made after Hamas announced its response to the initiative.