Region | Palestinian Territories

Hamas offers Gaza ceasefire

Palestinian group Hamas has offered Israel a truce through former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, sources told Gulf News.

  • By Patrick Seale, Special to Gulf News
  • Published: 01:24 March 7, 2008
  • Gulf News

Paris: Palestinian group Hamas has offered Israel a truce through former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, sources told Gulf News.

According to sources, Hamas sent Blair, now the chief representative of the Middle East peace quartet (the UN, the US, the EU, and Russia), a message last week urging him to press Israel to accept a mutual ceasefire. "This message was cleared with Hamas political supremo Khalid Mesha'al before being conveyed to Blair's office by a high-level intermediary," the sources said.

Hamas was encouraged to approach Blair by a statement he issued during last week's Israeli attack on Gaza, which killed 116 Palestinians in a series of air strikes and ground incursions. At least half the casualties were civilians, including children.

Blair's statement was seen as "almost balanced." The death of the Israeli in Sderot, he said, was "utterly to be condemned," but he also deplored as "absolutely tragic" the death of Palestinian civilians, adding that everything possible should be done "to avoid the loss of innocent Palestinian life".

Hamas, however, is proposing a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza alone, with no mention of the West Bank. Previous Hamas offers always stated that attacks on Israel would cease if Israel stopped its aggression in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Patrick Seale is a commentator and author of several books on Middle East affairs.

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