The 72-hour ceasefire is continuing to hold in the Gaza Strip, but whether or not it will be extended beyond the Friday deadline remains to be seen, with the armed wing of Hamas saying they oppose any such extensions without some concessions made on the final peace deal.
The statement from the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades wing urged the Palestinian delegation in Cairo not to agree to any ceasefire extensions unless Israel agreed in principle to the demand to open a Gaza seaport under UN supervision. The faction said it was ready for a “long war” and a withdrawal from the talks entirely without such a deal.
The Palestinian negotiation team, which includes Hamas political leaders as well as Fatah and Islamic Jihad members, has not yet made it clear if they’re going to push the Qassam Brigades’ demand.
But with the peace talks so far stuck on several key points, including Israel’s demand for a full, unilateral disarmament of the entire Gaza Strip, the Qassam Brigades present another obstacle to a deal to end the war. At the same time, Hamas’ armed wing has the most to lose under a disarmament deal, and may be trying to simply sabotage the talks to avoid a deal that costs them influence within the overall Hamas framework.
The death toll of the Gaza war so far is continuing to be finalized, but current stands at 1,976 Gazans killed, 83.1% of them civilians and 463 (23.4%) children under the age of 18. The Israeli toll is 67, with 64 of them soldiers.
No full unilateral disarmament of Hamas. They would be stupid to do such a thing which would leave themselves vulnerable to the rabid Israeli regime. Israel will need to send in ground troops for an all out offensive, but as Norman Finklestein points out, they are loathe to have casualties on their side.
Perhaps that is why there is a small contingent of 200 Marines (only the first of many?) on its way to Israel. A family member of mine who has a son who is Corporal in the Marine Corps was told this two days ago by a young man who is part of this contingent. Perhaps the idea is to put Americans (not Jewish ones, anyway) on the front lines and drag our nation into a war against the Palestinians?
Every citizens on this earth has a right to defend themselves. If North Korea did not have a nuclear deterrent that country would have taken the same road as Iraq. Hezbollah drove the Israelis out of Lebanon, not because they lay their weapons down, but because they stand up and fight for the rights to be self govern and be free of the occupiers. If Hamas gives up that right to defend themselves nothing will change on the ground. "It's better to live and die one day a hero than to live a hundred years a slave."
It's israel that is terrorizing the region. They should disarm.
Israel wants "the resistance" to be toothless while the Zionist IDF grows longer, sharper fangs paid for by the senile old coot, Uncle Sam.
The Israel, with Netanyahu or not, needs to accept this simple demand by HAMAS. Because Israel have made a Auschwitz out a Gaza where, as they please, can start killing innocent Palestinians again and again. The barbaric act of IDF with Netanyahu in command been noted once again, from 2006 to 2014 and registered all over the world where people of the world have started boycotting Israel goods to began with, next the ICC and UN security councils vote needs to bring about those responsible to justice while UN needs to make sure that Israel is boycotted totally and by all means.
This is 2014, there is no room for barbarians in Iraq and Syria nor the Neo fascism in Ukraine or Sweden nor the Israeli fascist/apartheid regime. People of the civilized World demanding for a functioning democracy with social and economic justice, not other way around.