Both Israel and Hamas say open to truce if other side stops firing

[oberliner]

Both Hamas and Israel on Sunday signaled willingness to agree to a mutual cease-fire to end days of cross-border violence that saw at least 19 Palestinians killed and more than 100 rockets fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel would be willing to accept a mutual cease-fire with Hamas if the movement stopped firing from Gaza. "If they stop firing on our communities, we will stop firing. If they stop firing in general, it will be quiet, it will be good," Barak told Israel Radio.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that "The Palestinian factions are not interested in escalation," adding: "If the Israeli aggression stopped, it would be natural for calm to be restored."

Palestinian militants fired approximately 120 rockets and mortars at Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip over the weekend, with tens of thousands of people spending the past few nights in reinforced rooms.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/both-israel-and-hamas-say-open-to-truce-if-other-side-stops-firing-1.355098

[PCIntern]

1. Ya gotta love it:

"We'll consider stopping for a week or so slitting the throats of infants, women, and children if you stop retaliating when we do these things which are RIGHTEOUS!!! After all, we've stated in our charter that we intend to destroy you and we shall do so if it takes a week or a milennium. We're not going anywhere...but you are. That's our RIGHTEOUS policy."

So this will be interpreted as "reasonableness" from Hamas...more like "reasonable-mess".