Photo: AP Dalam imej ini dibuat dari televisyen
Negeri Mesir, Setiausaha Negara Amerika Syarikat Hillary Rodham Clinton, kiri,
dan Menteri Luar Mesir Mohammed Kamel Amr, ke kanan, memberikan sidang akhbar
bersama mengumumkan gencatan senjata antara Israel dan Hamas di Kaherah, Mesir,
Rabu, November 21, 2012. Mesir telah mengumumkan satu perjanjian gencatan
senjata untuk menamatkan minggu pertempuran antara militan Israel dan Hamas di
Semenanjung Gaza. Menteri Luar Mohammed Kamel Amr berkata gencatan senjata itu
akan berkuat kuasa pada 9 pm waktu tempatan (2:00 EDT). Beliau membuat
pengumuman Setiausaha Negara Amerika Syarikat
Hillary Rodham Clinton di samping melawat. (Photo: AP In this image made
from Egyptian State Television, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton,
left, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr, right, give a joint
news conference announcing a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Cairo,
Egypt, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. Egypt has announced a cease-fire agreement to
end a week of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr said the truce would take effect at 9 p.m.
local time (2 p.m. EDT.) He made the announcement alongside visiting U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton).
Cease-fire begins between Israel and Hamas . . .
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - A
cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers took
effect Wednesday night, bringing an end to eight days of the fiercest fighting
in years and possibly signaling a new era of relations between the bitter
enemies.
The Egyptian-sponsored deal
delivered key achievements for all involved. It promised to halt years of
Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel and ease border closings that
have stifled Gaza's economy, and it affirmed the emergence of Egypt's new
Islamist government as a key player in a changing region.
But vague language in the
agreement and deep hostility between the combatants made it far from certain
that the bloodshed would end.
News of the truce, announced in
Cairo and reached after furious diplomacy that drew in U.S., U.N., European and
regional diplomats, set off ecstatic celebrations in Gaza, where thousands
poured into the streets, firing guns into the air, honking horns and waving
Palestinian, Hamas and Egyptian flags.
In Israel, small demonstrations
were held in communities that were struck by rockets. Protesters said the
military should have hit Hamas harder and some held signs demanding security
and denouncing "agreements with terrorists."
Leaders on both sides used tough
language as they prepared to engage in indirect negotiations on a future border
arrangement through Egyptian mediators. "I know there are citizens that
expected a wider military operation and it could be that it will be needed. But
at this time the right thing of the state of Israel is to take this opportunity
to reach a continuous cease-fire," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said.
At a news conference in Cairo,
the top Hamas leader in exile, Khaled Mashaal, claimed victory, saying the
Israelis "failed in their adventure" and that Israel is
"inevitably destined for defeat." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton called it "a critical moment for the region."
"Egypt's new government is
assuming the responsibility and leadership that has long made this country a
cornerstone of regional stability and peace," Clinton said. Israel
launched its military offensive in Gaza on Nov. 14 in to halt months of renewed
rocket fire from Gaza. In a first salvo, it assassinated the Hamas military chief,
then bombarded more than 1,500 targets in eight days of airstrikes and
artillery attacks. Palestinian militants led by Hamas showered Israel with more
than 1,500 rockets, including longer-range weapons that reached as far as
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
The fighting killed 161
Palestinians, including 71 civilians, and forced hundreds of thousands of
people on both sides of the border to remain huddled indoors. Five Israelis
were killed. It was the worst bloodshed since an Israeli invasion of Gaza four
years ago that left hundreds dead.
Under the agreement, Egypt will
play a key role in maintaining the peace. The U.S. also pledged engagement.
"In the days ahead, the United States will work with partners across the
region to consolidate this progress, improve conditions for the people of Gaza,
and provide security for the people of Israel," Clinton said at a joint
news conference in Cairo with her Egyptian counterpart, Mohammed Kamel Amr.
By agreeing to the cease-fire,
both Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers stepped back from the brink of what could
have been a full-fledged war. Both had compelling reasons to accept the
Egyptian deal, even though its outlines are vague.
Israel, which had massed
thousands of troops along the Gaza border, was warned by its Western allies,
including the U.S., against launching a ground offensive. Hamas would likely
have lost popular support if Gazans had to endure another devastating military
invasion.
Hours before the deal was
announced, a bomb exploded on a bus in Tel Aviv near Israel's military
headquarters, wounding 27 people and raising fears of a breakdown in the
diplomacy. The blast, which left the bus charred and its windows blown out, was
the first bombing in Tel Aviv since 2006. The bomb was placed inside the bus by
a man who got off, said Yitzhak Aharonovich, Israel's minister of internal
security. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
The deal calls for an immediate
halt to "all hostilities," and after a 24-hour period of calm, talks
will open on border arrangements. Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt is
expected to assume a central role in the talks. Largely limited to foot
traffic, Hamas hopes to turn the crossing into a bustling trade zone.
The new negotiations will try
to tackle some difficult issues. Israel will be seeking guarantees for a halt
in weapons smuggling by Hamas. The Islamists want unrestricted movement and
trade in and out of Gaza.
Israel imposed its blockade
five years ago, after Hamas seized control of Gaza from the rival Fatah movement
of President Mahmoud Abbas. Although the blockade has gradually been eased, key
restrictions remain on exports, the entry of key raw materials, and the
movement of people in and out of the area. These restrictions have ground
Gaza's economy to a halt, fueling unemployment of more than 30 percent.
The negotiations will be laden
with obstacles, and Egyptian mediators will be faced with tough-to-bridge
positions by both sides. Hamas is likely to resist Israeli demands to
demilitarize. In his comments Wednesday, Mashaal boasted of the arsenal Hamas
had amassed, both through a homegrown weapons industry and support from Iran,
Israel's archenemy.
"We thank Iran for its
support along with all the other nations that supported us," he said.
Mashaal said Hamas would demand a package that ends Gaza's isolation. "We
talked about the crossings, and the freedom of movement and cargo," he
said.
By brokering the truce,
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi emerged as a pivotal player in the new Middle
East, which has been swept by Islamist fervor during the Arab Spring changes of
the past two years. As the key sponsor of the deal, serving as a middleman in
cases of truce violations, Morsi will continue to play a key role.
His Muslim Brotherhood is the
parent movement of Hamas, and the Egyptian leader has sympathized with the
Palestinian Islamic group. However, he has largely kept in place the
restrictions on the Gaza-Egypt border that were imposed five years ago by his
pro-Western predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, when Israel began sealing Gaza. Only
Gazans fitting certain criteria can enter Egypt, and Morsi has resisted Hamas
demands to open a cargo crossing.
Morsi has continued Mubarak's
policy, in part, because of Egyptian concerns that an open border between Gaza
and Egypt would allow Israel to "dump" the territory onto Egypt and
undermine Palestinian statehood dreams.
Gaza and the West Bank flank
Israel, which prevents virtual all travel between the two territories. If Gaza
is open to Egypt, this would deepen the Palestinian territorial division and
further undermine Abbas.
In closed meetings with
Egyptian intelligence officials, Israel expressed concern about weapons
entering Gaza from Libya and elsewhere. Egyptian officials responded that they
are keen on stopping the flow of weapons, which affect security in the Sinai
Peninsula and end up in militants' hands there, according to Egyptian
intelligence officials present in the meetings. The officials spoke on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the
information.
The deal offered key
accomplishments to both Israel and Hamas. By bringing quiet to Israel's
embattled south, Netanyahu is likely to enjoy a boost of popularity just as he
prepares to seek re-election in January.
Hamas' ability to stand up to
Israel, combined with the international recognition it has gained, solidifies
its control of Gaza, prolonging the rule of a militant group pledged to
Israel's destruction.
After more than five years of
political isolation, Gaza became a magnet for foreign leaders during the past
eight days. The prime minister of Egypt, the foreign minister of Turkey and
foreign ministers of several Arab countries visited Gaza to show their support
for Hamas.
More importantly, both Israel
and the U.S. engaged in negotiations with the Islamists, albeit indirectly.
Both countries consider Hamas to be a terrorist group. The biggest loser
appears to be Abbas, the main political rival of Hamas, who was forced to watch
the events in Gaza from the sidelines. Since losing control of Gaza, Abbas has
been unable to end the bitter rift with Hamas, leaving him governing in the
West Bank only. Abbas seeks an independent state that includes both
territories.
The events of recent days,
coupled with a four-year impasse in peace efforts with Israel, will underscore
Abbas' image as an ineffective leader. As the streets of Gaza City snarled with
celebrations, chants of "God is great!" echoed from mosque speakers.
"I came out from under the
fire. I want my children and I to live in safety. I don't want war," said
Abdel-Nasser al-Tom, a resident of northern Gaza who had huddled for shelter in
a U.N. school. "I just hope they commit to peace."
Federman reported from Jerusalem. Mohammed Daraghmeh in Cairo and Ariel
David in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
Children pay high price in Gaza http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0dErqhGpYA&feature=plcp
Palestinian refugees slam Arab silence, support resistance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL9-jV9Po9Q&feature=plcp
Palestinians protest Clinton's visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVfBSq7cZHM&feature=plcp
Gaza celebrates ceasefire with Israel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioboq35Cha8&feature=plcp
Clinton visit to Gaza,
fruitless http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhp0wW-lZik&feature=plcp
Holding Fire in Middle East:
Will It Last?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sritbcw71K4&feature=plcp
Iran helped Hamas make
long-range missiles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv2bjljLOl0&feature=plcp
Hamas fire persists just
moments ahead of truce http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4sL-7y9A4w&feature=plcp
Israeli PM warns of more action
if truce fails http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0g2GMgMT4E&feature=plcp
Hamas, Egypt key actors in
Israel-Gaza truce http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WiPj_tf36c&feature=plcp
Israel cautious relief as
ceasefire declared http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIbkantc6NE&feature=plcp
OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE:
Pro-Israel groups hold rally outside White House
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1EUyYgPLYE&feature=plcp
PILLAR OF DEFENSE DAY 8: Hamas
rocket destroys building in Rishon Lezion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIrG27wqIxQ&feature=plcp
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