Hamas asks Gaza groups to stop attacking Israel

[azurnoir]

Fearing Israeli retaliation over Kassam, mortar attacks on Negev, Hamas urges factions to abide by unofficial cease-fire; IAF hits 2 targets in Strip.

Hamas said on Sunday that it was in contact with other groups in the Gaza Strip to reduce the recent attacks in the area so as to avoid another war with Israel.

The IAF, nonetheless, bombed two centers of terror activity overnight Sunday, the IDF spokesperson said.

Representatives of the Islamist movement said that they have urged the groups to abide by an unofficial ceasefire and to stop firing rockets and mortars at Israeli communities.

Hamas has even threatened any Palestinian who launches attacks on Israel.

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=202907

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. Given the size of Gaza some of us are incredulous that the launches occur without tacit

permission from Hamas.

[hayu_lol]

2. Will reserve judgement until we see who is actually in...

charge of Gaza. If this works, it would be good news for both sides. If it doesn't? At least we know that Hamas knows what to expect.

A cease fire is just that. To observe one would be to the advantage of both sides.

[Recursion]

3. If by "tacit permission" you mean "Hamas is not willing to kill everyone in Islamic Jihad"....

...then, sure.

[Ken Burch]

4. Given that some would do anything to reinforce the "it's ALL Hamas' fault"

And the "there can't be peace until Hamas is crushed" memes, anything that challenges them would instantly be attacked by such people.

The "Hamas MUST be crushed" types have got to get it through their heads...crushing Hamas can ONLY lead to it being replaced by another Gaza leadership that would be MORE intransigent and extreme...in Northern Ireland, those who opposed the IRA and Sinn Fein finally realized that, and it's thanks to their willingness to consider sensible alternatives to the unachievable "peace through victory" strategy that Northern Ireland is, today, more or less at peace. If they HAD "crushed the IRA", the
"REAL IRA" and "CONTINUITY IRA" factions would be marauding throughout the Six Counties, with their Loyalist partners in slaughter matching them car bomb for car bomb, pub bomb for pumb bomb, leaving that region eternally mired in gore and with no possible hope of ever achieving peace.

The only chance there is for a peaceful resolution to the I/P situation is for both sides to give up on the notion of "peace through victory"(although the Israeli side needs to give up on this first, because the Israeli government, overall, is the oppressor in the situation)and to start a reconciliation process based on the redress of grievancess and the healing of wounds.

[azurnoir]

8. Some here are not surprised considering

that IDF chose to kill 250+ police graduates, in the one of the first waves of bombing during OLC

[oberliner]

5. How about arresting them?

Might be more effective than just asking nicely.

[hayu_lol]

6. HAMAS and Gaza remind me of N. Korea...

in this case, they want the terrible people in Gaza who are shooting at Israel to please stop. Backed of course by HAMAS spokesmen who continue to spout 'from the river to the sea' and Victory is tomorrow.

Cease fire means just that. If HAMAS is successful in stopping the splinter groups from making the situation worse, then maybe, maybe, they can get back to meaningful discussion. Yes, HAMAS must be at the table, something they don't want to do.

[azurnoir]

7. yes by all means then

'some' here could complain about Hamas human rights violations

[hayu_lol]

9. Unknown individuals thumb noses at both...

HAMAS and Israel. So much for the 'please knock it off' publicity stunt.