Egypt has announced they have successfully brokered a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, scheduled to begin at midnight tonight local time. The deal will see Israel returning negotiators to Cairo to resume peace talks.
Israeli negotiators had left the Cairo talks late Friday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying no negotiations could take place so long as the fighting continues. Israel later agreed to an unconditional return to the talks, but escalated their attacks to try to get more targets hit before the ceasefire begins.
Palestinian negotiators said their agreement to the ceasefire was entirely conditional on Israel’s promise to return to the talks. The previous ceasefire held for 72-hours, but Hamas declined an extension when Israel refused to make any agreements in principle on any of the terms of final peace deal they were trying to negotiate.
Israel has so far remained opposed to every single point the Palestinians have sought on the agreement, including ending the blockade and allowing a UN-supervised seaport in Gaza. Israeli officials have said any concessions would be perceived as having “lost” the war.
I think that last sentence, pretty much says it all. Its almost like Israel is trying to "save face" instead of ending the bloodshed.
BINGO!!! …ergo, no end to the bloodshed until all the Palestinians are gone – which is really what the Israelis want after all.
Israel is able to pretend this is a game that the Zionist entity has to win. Peace is hated, Palestinians have no value, propaganda is successful abd the USA continues its cowardly and lying program of support for the criminal state.
Maybe the UN should *impose* the peace terms on Israel, and go ahead and start building that seaport and airport and start inviting contracts for rebuilding Gaza. In return, Gaza/Hamas must abide by the terms they proposed. If Israel wants another war, let it be on their head, and let it be against the UN itself.
On another track of thought, the UN created Israel out of whole cloth- so why not create the nation of Gaza out of the same stuff? If it is made independent, Israel has no choice but to abide by international law and there's nothing the US can do to protect Tel Aviv from adverse effects. What would be really hilarious would be if Gaza were granted independence and then volunteered to be absorbed as an outlying part of Russia or China or even Iran.