By KUNA
Gaza : Hamas is interested at this stage in maintaining the lull in fighting against the Israel forces along the Gaza Strip border, the daily Haaretz reported on Tuesday, quoting Israeli defense officials.
It said that likewise, “Egypt is keeping up heavy pressure on Hamas leaders in Gaza not to deviate from the understandings reached with it regarding the suspension of fighting.” The newspaper noted that Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak had said on Monday that if the rocket fire from the Strip and arms smuggling ceased, “The door to another reality will open,” but he added that “we are still far” from that reality.
Under the agreement Cairo reached with Hamas three weeks ago, Hamas would stop launching rockets at Israel for a week-long trial period, it said.
Israel announced that quiet on the Palestinian side would result in corresponding quiet from Israel. So far, both sides are keeping their promise to Egypt, even though Islamic Jihad occasionally launches rockets into Israel.
Security sources told Haaretz that the lull should not be viewed as an agreement between Israel and Hamas. They say Egypt was motivated to reach understandings with Hamas for interests of its own and out of fear the violence would spill over into its territory. Israel merely “hitched a ride on an arrangement already reached between Hamas and Cairo,” the sources said. However, senior military commanders indicated this week that the lull was expected to be temporary, because Egypt would have a hard time securing an overall agreement due to the massive distance between the sides.