Third ceasefire reached in Gaza
After two failed agreements, week of bloodshed and over 50 dead, Palestinian factions in Gaza Strip achieve ceasefire with Egyptian support
A third ceasefire was agreed upon Saturday by Fatah and Hamas factions after Palestinian infighting broke out in the Gaza Strip one week ago. In a meeting held by the Egyptian security delegation at their embassy in the Gaza Strip, it was decided that gunmen of all factions should withdraw from the streets, put an end to shooting and disarm.
Despite that fact that the two previous truces did not last, there is hope in the Strip that this agreement will stick, since it is strongly backed by Egypt.
The Egyptians demanded the parties promise to put an end to gun battles in the streets, and in order to strengthen both parties' commitment to the ceasefire, they were asked to read a verse from the Qur'an together.
Sources from the Egyptian security delegation expressed confidence that the new agreement would be more successful than the previous two.
Hamas to focus on fighting Israel
Clashes between the feuding factions continued up until just a few minutes before the ceasefire was reached, but a Palestinian security source told Ynet that he felt the agreement was likely to hold since Hamas would now be more interested in focusing its efforts in fighting against Israel.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh praised the agreement and called on the parties to do everything possible to make it last.
Intensive talks involving Arab parties, including Egypt, lead up to the agreement. Egyptian representatives spoke with Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal in Syria, in order to ensure a successful truce.
Sources from the Strip said they hoped that the involvement of Mashaal, Abbas, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would finally bring an end to the violence which erupted last week, and left over 50 Palestinians dead.
