72-hour Gaza ceasefire announced (Live Updates and Video)(Update – Hamas attacks, ceasefire over)
Forces to “remain in place”
UPDATE 8-1-2014: The ceasefire lasted just a few hours as Hamas used the lull to launch an attack in which Israeli soldiers were killed and one is believed kidnapped. More to follow in separate post.
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John Kerry and Ban Ki Moon just announced that all sides have agreed to a 72-hour “humanitarian truce” starting 8 a.m. tomorrow (Israel time, about 7 hours from the time this post goes live).
CNN reports that Hamas and other terrorist groups have accepted.
The negotiations apparently were held in Egypt, which had proposed a ceasefire two weeks ago that Israel accepted and Hamas rejected.
It appears that all forces stay in place. It’s unclear whether and to what extend Israel can continue to search out new tunnels or blow up ones already located.
.@CNN reports US understanding that Israel can continue to destroy tunnels in areas currently holds
— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) July 31, 2014
Details to follow below.
Hamas leader Izat Al Risheq announced on al Aqsa TV that Hamas agreed to 72 hours cease fire
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) July 31, 2014
Isr. Ch. 2 analyst thinks the unconditional nature of the ceasefire indicates a possible return to the original Egyptian ceasefire proposal
— CiF Watch (@CiFWatch) July 31, 2014
7 hours to go before 72hours ceasefire. Lotsa time left. Not much sleep in #Gaza plus #Hamas will be tempted to take another pop at Tel-Aviv
— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) July 31, 2014
Struggling to find a difference between ceasefire just announced & proposal by #Egypt that #Hamas turned down 17days (and 1200 deaths) ago
— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) July 31, 2014
Ceasefire text says "forces on the ground will remain in place" i.e. IDF will continue destroying Gaza tunnels. Humiliating for Hamas.
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) July 31, 2014
#Hamas accepted a ceasefire almost indentical to what #Egypt proposed on july 15, when death count was at 200 and Gaza still had electricity
— Amir Tibon (@amirtibon) July 31, 2014
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i24 News live http://t.co/u5Ava7XvMl
— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) July 17, 2014
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream Tweets from https://twitter.com/LegInsurrection/lists/gaza-2014
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Comments
This should give Hama’s plenty of time to boobytrap the tunnels.
This should give Hama’s plenty of time to boobytrap the tunnels.
Surely they’ve been busy at that since the IDF crossed the border – plus hiding whatever they can.
But the IDF shouldn’t have much trouble doing an ‘almost’ demolition by remote control – the sort that forces the tunnelers to first clear huge wreckage before rebuilding, rather like Lawrence’s damage to Turkish railroad bridges.
I do not believe a cease fire is humanitarian as the Palestinian people will not be encouraged to overthrow Hamas. This will only serve to extend the assault on Israel and give Hamas time to dig up more rockets that could well have been destroyed.
Israel, bending over backwards to appear to be humanitarian may well be doing this solely at the expense of Israeli lives.
Obviously, they are not the heartless killers that Hamas is, but I question the wisdom.
PS…
I doubt Hamas will honor the cease fire for 7 hours this time either.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Israel keeps on making this mistake, over and over and over. Did FDR or Churchill agree to any ceasefires with Germany or Japan? Of course not. They demanded unconditoinal surrender or nothing.
And what did I say? Now we see how stupid this was. You can blame Kerry all you like; I blame Netanyahu. Nobody forced him to agree to this stupid deal. He did it all on his own, and what happened is his own fault. Now I suppose he will release another 1000 terrorists, just like he did for Shalit. He talks a good game, but in a crunch you can rely on him to cave.
The last time there was a cease fire that Hamas observed the second the cease fire was over Hamas soldiers (they are soldiers) appeared from inside tunnels and wages a few attacks on Israeli soil that were repulsed by Israeli forces.
Since it takes time to deploy Hamas soldier through the appropriate tunnel Hamas had used the cease fire time to get its tunnel attack forces deployed.
In other words Hamas did not participate in the cease fire.
Important note – IF there is a hostage, deal with it correctly.
Which means – sit shiva for the dead soldier now. And respond with a lesson to Hamas that they will be PUNISHED for that shit, not REWARDED.
Too many times in the past, they have learned that they will be rewarded for it. Now teach them a biblical strength lesson that punishment will be swift and harsh.
Even the UN admits that Hamas uses hospitals, UN schools, ‘citizen shelters’, civilian neighborhoods, etc to store weapons, and fire them from. And tunnel from.
This is not Israel’s fault. They do what they can, and then some, to be as careful as possible, built this is war. People in war zones die.
Hamas chose the war zone, Israel did not. But they must defend themselves in it.