Israel Declares Temporary Ceasefire As Hamas Attend Egypt Peace Talks

by Benson Agoha

Israel has announced a temporary stop in air-strikes against Hamas positions in Gaza. The measure is on humanitarian grounds, according to reports, and will run from 8am to about 4pm in the afternoon.

The gesture is to allow aid workers to move in and deliver supplies, as well as attend to the wounded and others in need.

* Flowers of Sympathy: Londoners are upset by the war
 and showed their sympathy for civilians affected during
a protest outside Downing Street, on Wednesday,
 last week. Photo Credit: WO

Despite the declaration, Israel says it will not tolerate any provocation from Hamas and will retaliate if attacked.

The announcement comes as a reprieve after an Israeli strike killed 10 Palestinians outside a UN school on Sunday, with conflicting reports that as many as 30 Palestinians died in strikes on the city, according to Vice News.

It attracted immediate world-wide condemnation, as well as from the office of the Secretary General of the UN, who called it a "moral outrage and a criminal act."

In an official statement, the UN Secretary General said the attack was another “gross violation of international humanitarian law, which clearly requires protection by both parties of Palestinian civilians, UN staff and UN premises, among other civilian facilities. United Nations shelters must be safe zones not combat zones.” The scribe said the "madness must stop."

On Saturday, the Israeli government said it had no problem with Palestinian civilian residents of Gaza and regretted the deaths and hardship they have been exposed to.  But said it was caused for them by Hamas.

In a related development, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal, has been berated for staying in a seven-star hotel while waging a war with Israel, according to a report widely circulated on Sunday.

General Dhahi Khalfan, deputy commander of Dubai Police has suggested that Fatah should take over the rule of Gaza, and that Hamas should either make the missiles more deadly or stop firing at Israel.

"If the Arab and Islamic leadership had been given the Saudi king, things would look different, but Hamas handed the leadership to Qatar and Turkey. What did they expect? The only path for Gaza's residents is to give the governance to Fatah", he said.

And wondered, "Is there an intelligent man who would drop the great Saudi Arabia and bind himself to Qatar, apart from Hamas' dealers in resistance? Egypt fought for Palestine, but Hamas brands Egyptian military leaders as traitors who planned the coup" [against ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood].

Hamas on the other hand is reportedly attending peace talks being brokered by Egypt, where it is asking Egypt to Israel press for a ceasefire demands.

Also published in >>>[www.woolwichonline.eu].