The Hindu : Hamas may agree to ceasefire

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 13, 2002

International

International

Hamas may agree to ceasefire

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA (BAHRAIN) AUG. 12. In a significant development, an extremist Islamic Palestinian group that has spearheaded the spate of suicide bombings in Israel may be close to declaring cease-fire. The Hamas faction appears close to hammering out a deal with the Fatah organisation that is under the control of the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat.

Reports in the Israeli media suggest that the Hamas may be near to announcing that it would not undertake attacks inside Israel. That would mean that it would confine its activities only to the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza strip. The Hamas participated on Saturday in a meeting of the Supreme Intifada Monitoring Committee, an umbrella grouping of 13 Palestinian organisations.

The Hamas apparently took part in formulating a draft national unity document, but was yet to sign it. Ismail Hania, a Hamas leader in the Gaza strip said in an interview to Radio Monte Carlo, that the draft document declared the confinement of the Palestinian struggle only to the West Bank and the Gaza strip the areas that Israel captured in the 1967 war. Mr. Hania further added that the document would call upon Mr. Arafat to establish a unity government in which Palestinian opposition groups will also be included. In case the Hamas declares and implements its ceasefire intent, it would come as a huge relief to the embattled Israeli Government.

After spectacular twin suicide attacks in June, the Hamas killed nine people including five Americans in Jerusalem's Hebrew University earlier this month. This was followed by a suicide attack inside an Israeli bus in which several people were killed. The Hamas pointed out that it had mounted both these attacks to avenge the killing of its military chief, Salah Shehade in a Israeli F-16 raid on July 22.

The Israeli targeting had led to an international outcry as it also killed several civilians, including nine Palestinian children. In declaring its intent to form an independent Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, the draft document has called for the vacation of Israeli occupation from these territories. Besides, it has demanded a just solution of the refugee problem. The return of Palestinian refugees that have fanned out across the globe has been a sticking point in earlier negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. Analysts point out that in case the Hamas recognises the formation of the future Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, it would mean a significant shift in its stance. The Hamas in the past has maintained that it does not recognise the State of Israel and was committed to the formation of an Islamic State of Palestine that covered the present day Israel as well as the Palestinian territories of West Bank and Gaza.

In an apparent reference to suicide bombings, the document pointed out that the methods of struggle should serve the national Palestinian cause and do not sabotage it.

It further called for the democratisation of the Palestinian institutions. According to observers, as the intra-Palestinian negotiations that could lead to ceasefire gather momentum, the onus for bringing peace is fast shifting to the Israeli authorities. Another incident like the F-16 attack now can trigger a fresh round of Palestinian retaliation, undermining the budding initiative.

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