Israel rejects Hamas offer for truce

Friday April 25, 2008 18:19 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israel officially rejected on Friday an offer made by the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, for a six month truce in the Gaza Strip. Israeli leaders said that the call is a “hoax which aims at allowing resistance fighters to rearm and recover from recent fighting with Israel”.

David Baker, the spokesperson of the Israeli government, said on Friday that Hamas wants to gain time in order to rearm and regroup.

Baker also said that Israel will do whatever it needs “to protect its citizens”, a statement which refers to the ongoing Israel attacks and air strikes in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas movement extended the truce offer on Thursday following talks with Egyptian mediators. The movement said that this truce should be mutual and that all hostilities should be stopped.

Hamas also conditioned the truce with lifting the embargo imposed on the Gaza Strip. The offer also called for extending the truce to the West Bank in a later stage.

israel | peace process | news report saed at imemc dot org