No breakthough, no security while Netanayahu is in power
The armed wing of Hamas threatens to carry out a major attack if Israel fails to meet its demand to stop abuses against Palestinian civilians. "If our demands are not met, there will be a major operation. Our military capacity is more significant than the enemy estimates," the Ezzedin Qassam group said in a statement.
This statement is the result of a chain of events in Rafah which, last week, saw thousands of Palestinians storm the governor's residence in violent protest over the way they are governed. But it is also emblematic of all that is wrong with Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority (PA) in the areas it commands and, perhaps, of what is in store should political reforms (as much as economic prosperity) not be forthcoming.
So, the military wing of Hamas has claimed responsibility for the majority of suicide bombings carried out in Israel over the past few years--in particular the two attacks which killed 21 Israelis in Jerusalem this summer.
In its statement Ezzedin Qassam again said it was ready to halt attacks against civilians and limit its operation to military targets, provided Israel stopped abuse against Palestinian civilians.
"The Qassam Brigades are ready to limit their military action by restricting their attack to Zionist military targets, if the enemy agrees to stop assaulting our civilians, to stop destroying their homes and to stop confiscating their land," the statement added.
Sheikh Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas, freed by Israel at the beginning of October after eight years of detention, said after his return to Gaza strip that suicide attacks against Israelis could stop if the Israelis stopped destroying Palestinian lands.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu accused the Palestinian authority (PA) of "regressing" on security agreements with Israel by opening Hamas-affiliated institutions and releasing arrested Palestinians (the same day had seen Israel free 26 Palestinians as a further installment on the deal struck with Jordan after the Mishal affair, but Netanyahu ducked any comparison).
Referring to the US-mediated current talks between Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy and senior PLO official Mohammed Abbas, "Arafat described it as "a waste of time," and voiced doubts that Levy had a mandate to make deals.
"The cabinet held a thorough and lengthy discussion, and I am leaving for these talks in Washington with the feeling that there is a possibility to advance the process and reach understandings," Levy said ahead of the negotiations that started on Monday.
Levy sidestepped a question on whether Israel would seek a breakthrough with the PLO by agreeing to a US request for a "time-out" on Jewish settlement activity.
"Let's not get into details," he said. It is becoming more apparent every day that a breakthrough is unlikely as long as Netanyahu is Israel's leader.