By Xinhua,
Gaza : A Hamas spokesman said on Friday that Egypt’s efforts to mediate a truce between Palestinian militant groups based in the Gaza Strip and Israel “are fruitless” due to Israeli rejection to end the blockade and open the border crossings.
“Hamas presented all needed conveniences to render the truce efforts successful, but Israel is still delaying and rejecting the conditions (for reaching a truce),” Sami Abu Zuhri told a news conference in Gaza.
Egypt has been mediating a six-month truce in Gaza between Israel and Gaza militants group, including Hamas and several minor militant groups. So far, nothing has been agreed upon between the two sides.
Israel insisted the truce deal should include the issue of the captive Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit and be calm for calm before the Jewish state ends a tightened blockade it has imposed on Gaza since Hamas bloodily took over the coastal enclave last June.
Hamas officials rejected the Israeli demand, insisting that the prisoners’ swap and the truce are on two separate tracks. However, Hamas said earlier that it was supposed to get an answer from Israel through Egypt within the coming days.
Abu Zuhri called on Palestinians to be prepared for what he termed “the coming battle of breaking the siege,” adding that the protest near a southern Gaza crossing earlier in the day “was just a message that the ongoing siege is rejected.”
In a rally called by Hamas to protest against the almost one-year Israeli siege on Gaza, hundreds of Hamas supporters marched towards Sofa crossing after Friday prayers and clashed with Israeli soldiers at the crossing on the border between Israel and southeastern Gaza Strip on Friday afternoon.
Palestinian medics earlier said that seven Palestinians were shot and wounded by Israeli troops’ gunfire near Sofa crossing.