Gaza militants reject ceasefire with Israel, respond with rockets
Gaza militants on Tuesday met Egypt's call for a quick truce with repeated rocket fire on Israel and senior Hamas officials rejected the proposal, saying they weren't consulted. Israel accepted Cairo's plan, but warned it would strike Gaza even harder than it has to date if Hamas didn't abide by it as well.
The Islamic militant group didn't close the door to truce talks, however. It appeared instead to be holding out for better conditions, with senior officials saying the Egyptian plan offers no tangible achievements, particularly on easing a border blockade of the coastal strip, which has been enforced by Israel and Egypt for the past seven years.
The situation remained highly volatile, suggesting Egypt's efforts to end a week of fighting could quickly run aground. Since the outbreak of cross-border fire on July 8, more than 190 Palestinians have been killed and millions of Israelis have been exposed to rocket fire.
It is the third major round of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in just over five years — but also one in which the impact on Israel has been much mitigated by the success of its Iron Dome air defence system in shooting down Hamas's rockets and preventing Israeli fatalities to date.
The previous bout, in 2012, eventually ended with the help of Egypt, at the time seen as a trusted broker by Hamas.
But Hamas deeply distrusts Egypt's current rulers, who ousted a Hamas-friendly government in Egypt a year ago, and have tightened the border blockade on Gaza.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/gaza-militants-reject-ceasefire-with-israel-respond-with-rockets-1.2707102
Egypt offers peace, Israel accepts and Hamas responds with a counter offer of more war and destruction.
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