Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

Now I don't want to sound overly-cynical, but whenever I hear those phrases "Hamas announces truce" or "Hamas announces ceasefire", it always seems to be followed (within days) by some kind of Israeli assault, resulting in said 'truce' in shreds.

Am I suggesting deliberate coercion by elements within Israel to keep Hamas as the enemy? No, not at all. I'd want more to go on before arriving at that conclusion.

However... (!) I have to be honest and admit, it's been a pattern I've noticed enough times as to warrant me posting my concerns here, so let's just see what happens. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong this time. And if I am, I'll take note of it.

(In the interest of balance, I would add that whenever sensitive negotiations are taking place between the two sides, these are similarly sabotaged by elements of the Palestinian side. But then we all knew that anyway.)

Re: Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

Prelude to a military conflict. Whoever blinks first is going to have the other all over them in very short order.

Re: Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

Can I ban people for being stupid?

Re: Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

Do elaborate...

Re: Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

Forget it. You're right. It's all Israel's fault.

Re: Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

Yes of course, exactly what I meant to say. :rolleyes:

Re: Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

"whenever I hear those phrases "Hamas announces truce" or "Hamas announces ceasefire", it always seems to be followed (within days) by some kind of Israeli assault, resulting in said 'truce' in shreds."

Re: Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

Certainly the last few times (which doesn't equal a historical 'always', I'll give you that) that I've felt a tinge of optimism, it seems to have been Israel in the news days later getting heavy handed, and the 'brink' is lost.

Much as I'd love to dig out sources, I'm going purely on the memory of reading those stories and thinking to myself, "Christ, Israel, what a lousy time to go and do something like that". Naturally you're free to speculate on whether my memory is selective and being influenced by a fixed pro-Palestinian (or anti-Israel) bias, and I imagine that no amount of me denying that will convince you otherwise if you've already made up your mind.

What I will say to you Jason, is that if you think I believe the current mess is "all Israel's fault" - or even the majority of it is Israel's fault - then you're very much mistaken, and being rather stupid yourself.

Re: Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

Seems they are also calling for talks on Lebanon too now, which is interesting.

An article in the Jerusalem Post seems to be pre-empting a potential terrorist attack by other factions in the run-up to the Hamas truce that might require a "response", however. And the head of Military Intelligence seems to be looking on the bright side too :rolleyes:: You appear to have read the first line of Deckard's post without reading the rest of it, which is very balanced. In fact I am at a loss to find anyone who posts in the World Forum with a more balanced approach than Deckard's, ever. Threatening to ban someone because you don't share their opinion makes no sense at all, especially in World. There would be no-one left. ;)

Re: Hamas announces 6-month truce with Israel
 

Can't blame them given the history. In contrast with Deckard, as I remember it, during previous attempts at a cease-fire, there would be things like kidnappings of Israeli soldiers or random missiles shot across the border into Israel that would prompt a military response from them. When dealing with a terrorist organization like Hamas, I'd say it's wise to be ready for anything.