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Egypt Amends Gaza Mediation in Face of Hamas Defiance
[An Nahar] After proposing a stillborn truce denying Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, any gains from its conflict with Israel, Egypt has had to negotiate with the Paleostinian hard boyz to halt the war on its doorstep, analysts said.The initial truce was to have taken effect on Tuesday, apparently coordinated with Israel while bypassing Hamas. Egyptian mediators have since backtracked from demanding an unconditional acceptance by Hamas and began hosting intense negotiations in Cairo. "I think that they realized that in order for this to end they will have to reach an agreement that will entail concessions to Gazoo," said Nathan Thrall, a Jerusalem-based analyst, referring to Egypt and Israel, which have a 1979 peace treaty. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who last year ousted his Islamist predecessor, Mohammed Morsi, had moved to further isolate the Paleostinian movement, a close ally of Morsi's Moslem Brüderbund. The Egyptian army has destroyed much of a vast smuggling tunnel network that provided Hamas with revenues and weapons, accusing the Paleostinians of aiding hard boyz in Egypt's Sinai. When Hamas' war with Israel erupted last week, Egypt -- the traditional broker in such conflicts -- cobbled together a ceasefire proposal quickly backed by Israel, Arab governments and the United States, but predictably spurned by Hamas. The ceasefire conditions, which Egypt demanded both sides accept unconditionally, would have deprived Hamas of the "victory" it desperately seeks following the deaths of more than 200 Paleostinians in 10 days of Israeli bombardment. Hamas, keeping up its rocket fire on Israeli cities that sparked the war, has ruled out any ceasefire before Egypt and Israel agreed to discuss terms. On Thursday, Israel said it had agreed on a truce with Hamas but the Islamist movement denied a deal had been reached. Hamas officials said there were ongoing talks on the basis of a set of concessions. It demands a lifting of Israel's blockade on Gazoo, opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and the release of Paleostinian prisoners Israel has re-tossed in the calaboose Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! after freeing them in exchange for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011. According to Hamas and Israeli media reports, the hard boyz had not been consulted on the initial Egyptian initiative, although Sisi had cleared it with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Reports indicated that Egyptian security forces had reinforced positions at the Rafah border crossing in preparation for the IDF's ground incursion. Posted by: Fred 2014-07-18 |
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