Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan warned that “Israel must accept the demands of the Palestinian people or face a long war” in advance of the Monday, August 18 midnight deadline (local time) when the latest Egyptian-brokered ceasefire is due to expire.
On the Hamas website, Hamdan threatened that “all options will be open if the occupation refused to respond to the demands of the resistance.” The Hamas military command made it clear that a military response was imminent, saying “Hamas adheres to the arms of resistance.”
Hamas is demanding that Egypt and Israel open the Gaza borders to the free flow of goods, also enabling Hamas to re-arm and resupply its military. Israel refuses, emphasizing the Hamas military threat and years of attacks from Gaza on Israeli population centers.
Israeli and Palestinian delegations were in Cairo Sunday as Egyptian mediators attempted to hammer out a deal that will allow a long-term truce to be agreed to. Despite optimistic reports last week that Gaza groups would sign such a truce, hard line statements from Hamas leaders appear to be torpedoing any success.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized Israel would not compromise on Hamas having to halt attacks:
“The Israeli delegation to Cairo has worked under clear instructions: Insist on the security needs of the State of Israel. Only if there is a clear response to our security needs will we agree to reach understandings.”
“We will continue to be steadfast and united until we achieve the goals of the campaign – the restoration of quiet and security for all Israelis.”
The Israeli position was given a boost by the European Union, which issued a statement saying “a return to the status quo prior to the latest conflict is not an option.” The Europeans linked any Gaza border openings to Hamas and other terrorist groups halting all attacks and disarming:
“A durable ceasefire must lead to a fundamental improvement in the living conditions for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip through the lifting of the Gaza closure regime, and it must end the threat to Israel posed by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza as demonstrated by rocket attacks and tunnel construction. All terrorist groups in Gaza must disarm.”
Finance Minister Yair Lapid praised the European position, telling Ynet News:
“I welcome that yesterday the European ministers met and showed their willingness to be involved in the region. It goes well with the idea of a regional conference that we are now promoting in order to reach the situation where there will be no reconstruction without disarmament in Gaza, and there will not be a ceasefire without quiet for the residents of the south (of Israel).”
Hamas seized control of Gaza in a bloody 2007 military coup, ousting the government and forces loyal to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Egypt and Israel clamped down on the border knowing that the heavily armed and Iranian-backed Hamas and groups under its jurisdiction were smuggling in weapons and using construction materials for military purposes instead of civil reconstruction projects.
[Photo: Hamas military website]