Israel to Ease Gaza Blockade if truce holds

This is from Bloomberg.
Events like this are a glimmer of hope in a generally gloomy scene between Hamas and Israel. The small positive steps Israel has taken at least make more sense than the hard line usually taken by the U.S. and Israel of no negotiating with terrorists. Of course there were Israeli terrorists when the Israelis were fighting for independence!
It seems as if Abbas and Hamas may reconcile. If this happens the Palestinians will be in a much strong negotiating position.



Israel to Ease Gaza Blockade in 3 Days If Truce Holds (Update2)
By Jonathan Ferziger and Gwen Ackerman
June 19 (Bloomberg) -- Israel said it will ease its economic blockade of the Gaza Strip in three days if a cease- fire with Hamas that went into effect today holds.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will go to Egypt June 24 for talks with President Hosni Mubarak, whose aides brokered the truce. Israel will keep the frontier shut unless Hamas releases its captive soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, a government spokesman said.
``If the calm holds, you will see the start of a process of liberalization in the economic sanctions at the very beginning of next week,'' Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said. He added, though, ``there will be no normalization of the crossings unless Gilad Shalit is freed.''
Both sides expressed skepticism that their agreement would last, with Olmert describing it yesterday as fragile. Gaza was mostly quiet since the Egyptian-mediated cease-fire started at 6 a.m., according to the Israeli army and Hamas officials. Olmert's talks with Mubarak will center on disputes over border crossings and prisoners.
About an hour before the cease-fire, Israeli aircraft killed a Palestinian who was preparing to launch a rocket over the border, according to the army and the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters today the movement will adhere to the cease-fire terms. Business owners expressed disappointment it will probably take until next week before Israel allows required amounts of fuel and other supplies into the territory. Hamas leaders earlier said it would take a few hours after the truce takes effect.
Business Plea
``We hope that by Sunday we'll receive the normal amounts of diesel and petrol,'' Mahmoud al-Khozendar, deputy president of the union of gas stations in Gaza, said in an interview.
Commercial restrictions on Gaza and a corruption probe into Olmert led to the cease-fire, but there's little likelihood of a settlement between Israel and a movement sworn to its destruction, said Gerald Steinberg, a political scientist at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan.
``Hamas is gambling that it can strengthen itself for another round six months or a year from now,'' Steinberg said. ``Olmert is gambling he can save his government.''
The cease-fire was agreed upon after months of indirect talks with Egyptian mediators between Israel and Hamas, which seized control of Gaza a year ago after sharing power with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The militant Muslim group is classified a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S. and European Union.
`Collision Course'
``Historically, we are on a collision course with Hamas, but seizing this opportunity does make some sense,'' Barak said in an interview with France's Le Monde. ``If it's broken, we'll have greater legitimacy. If it holds, it's an opportunity to protect our citizens exposed to rocket fire, and to free the soldier Shalit.''
About 4,300 rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel in the 12 months since Hamas took over, and four Israelis were killed in the attacks, according to the Israeli army spokesman's office. More than 570 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air raids and limited ground incursions against rocket launchers and militants, according to Gaza human rights organizations.
Ismail Haniya, the top Hamas leader in Gaza who was deposed as prime minister of the authority, said yesterday he hopes Abbas will soon make his first visit to the territory in more than a year.
Egypt has invited representatives of Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the EU to Cairo June 26 for talks on opening the southern Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told reporters yesterday. In parallel, Egypt will mediate talks between Israel and Hamas on a deal that could free Shalit, he said. Hamas wants more than 1,400 Palestinians freed from Israeli jails in exchange.
Olmert said yesterday that the truce will be ``fragile and may be very short.'' Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters that it ``doesn't mean the end of resistance.''
To contact the reporters on this story: Jonathan Ferziger in Jerusalem at jferziger@bloomberg.net; Gwen Ackerman in Jerusalem at gackerman@bloomberg.net Last Updated: June 19, 2008 09:52 EDT