Hamas Sets Terms For Hudna

Once again, the terrorists win by dictating the terms of what happens with Israel.

Hamas set out its conditions on Wednesday for a ceasefire with Israel, calling for an end to all acts of Israeli "aggression" in the Gaza Strip and West Bank and the reopening of Gaza border crossings.

The terms mirrored proposals raised by Egyptian mediators trying to piece together a truce deal, which would also end Gaza rocket attacks on Israel by militants from Hamas and other Palestinian groups.

Violence has declined sharply over the past week. A ceasefire could foster progress in U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah faction lost control of the Gaza Strip to Hamas last June.

"There must be a commitment by Israel to end all acts of aggression against our people, assassinations, killings and raids, and lift the (Gaza) siege and reopen the crossings," Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas's administration in the Gaza Strip, said in a speech.

There's nothing in there about Hamas stopping its terrorist attacks against Israel - only that Hamas might refrain from attacks if Israel stops going after the terrorists.

Of course, the terrorists fired a mortar at Israel, but it fell short. And a smuggling tunnel between Egypt and Gaza collapsed, killing one of the tunnelers. That's going to leave a mark.

And Hamas is also upping its demands for Israel to get back Gilad Shalit - they now want 750 terrorists in return.

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak calls such demands rubbish, but the fact is that Olmert is pressuring the Israeli military to curtail its efforts to kill terrorists in Gaza.

Hizbullah is also chirping today, claiming that Israel wont go after them because they fear heavy losses. The problem isn't the deaths of Israeli soldiers, but the inept leadership that wastes Israeli soldiers' lives in half-assed efforts to kill terrorists. Hizbullah lost a significant chunk of its thugs in South Lebanon, but Israel missed the opportunity to deal the terrorists a crushing blow because Olmert and the politicians dithered over how to proceed.

UPDATE:
And even as they talk about a ceasefire, the terrorists are still busy little thugs, attempting attacks all the while (and firing their kassam rockets that can kill and maim). And it's not like the West Bank is silent either - the Israelis keep rounding up terrorists or killing them there too.

Islamic terrorists have fired 6 kassams into Israel since midnight local time. Yeah, Islamophobia causes terrorism. Sorry, but you folks at the OIC have it backwards. Terrorism done in the name of Islam causes Islamophobia. Stop the terrorism, and people wont have this problem.

UPDATE:
YNet reports the following without the slightest hint of irony.

Will truce last? At least eight Qassam rockets were fired at Sderot from the northern Gaza Strip Wednesday night following a brief lull in attacks on southern Israel communities.


Two rockets landed in town, near a school and next to a warehouse, and caused some damage. Security forces were attempting to pinpoint the landing site of another rocket that apparently fell in a residential area. One rocket landed in the Strip, while the others landed in open areas outside Sderot.

A truce is a cessation of violence. Firing rockets is clear evidence that there is no truce. The terrorists were simply hoping to have time to regroup and rearm, and they're now back to firing their kassams at Israel. It coincides with Israel's government telling the military to curtail its efforts in Gaza - and now that the terrorists have taken advantage of Israel's leadership, they're back in the game.