Hamas Vows Not to Accept Israeli Cease-Fire Conditions
By VOA News
16 January 2009
Hamas says it will not accept Israeli conditions for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
At a special Arab League summit in Qatar Friday, exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal told Arab leaders that Israel caused the conflict. He accused the Jewish state of waging war against all Palestinians, including women and children.
Although not a member of the League, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended, expressing solidarity with Hamas.
The summit went ahead despite objections by the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Earlier Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had said an agreement on a cease-fire was "very close."
After meeting with Palestinian Authority leaders in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Mr. Ban also said it is time for Israel to consider a unilateral cease-fire.
Israeli air strikes continued in Gaza Friday. Hamas has kept up its rocket fire into Israel throughout Israel's campaign.
Earlier Friday, an Israeli government spokesman, Mark Regev, expressed Israel's hope that it was nearing the end of its three-week offensive aimed at stopping Palestinian rocket fire into Israel.
Israeli diplomats are in the United States and Egypt for discussions on cease-fire terms.
In Washington, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is to finalize a U.S.-Israeli deal that aims to stop Hamas from smuggling weapons into Gaza. In Cairo, a senior Israeli defense official, Amos Gilad, is holding a second day of truce talks with Egyptian mediators.
Hamas has proposed a year-long, renewable truce in Gaza, leading to the withdrawal of Israeli troops within a week and the immediate opening of all border crossings.
Palestinian medics say more than 1,100 Gazans, including 300 children, have been killed in Israel's three-week-long campaign. Thirteen Israeli soldiers and civilians have also died in the conflict.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
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