Uneasy lull between Israeli army and Gaza militants
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas Islamists whocontrol the Gaza Strip have been holding their fire as Egypttries to mediate a truce, both sides said on Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denied any agreement tohalt military action against militants in the coastal enclave,but Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he believed Israelwould go along with a deal.
Abbas said Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the main groups in Gazabehind cross-border rocket fire at Israel, wanted assurancestheir leaders would not be attacked by the Jewish state.
A Gaza truce sought by the Palestinian president could bekey to U.S.-brokered peace efforts but also benefit Hamas,which seized the coastal enclave in June after routing Abbas'smore secular Fatah forces.
Israel has not struck in Gaza since Thursday, three daysafter it ended an offensive that killed 120 Palestinians.
The number of Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israelhas dropped sharply since Olmert said on Wednesday Israel wouldhave no reason to attack Gaza if the daily salvoes stopped.
Hamas's armed wing has not itself claimed responsibilityfor firing any rockets since Israel wrapped up its ground andair assault. In the absence of Israeli "aggression", Hamasofficial Sami Abu Zuhri said the group had no cause to launchthem.
"It seems that Hamas has decided for now not to shoot. Andwe're not shooting either," said an Israeli official, whodeclined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
"This could well become a ceasefire. But the ball is inHamas's court," the official said.
In new public comments on the lull, Olmert insisted Israelwas not negotiating with Hamas "directly or indirectly". But ina nod to a possible de facto truce, he repeated that if rocketswere not fired at Israel, "we will have no reason to shoot".
Speaking in Amman, Abbas said: "Hamas and Islamic Jihadhave asked that their leaders should be protected from Israeli(attack). I think the Israelis are agreeing to this or haveagreed. We may be hearing about this deal in the coming fewdays."
Israel, the United States and the European Union refuse totalk with Hamas, which opposes peace talks, until it recognisesIsrael and renounces violence.
BLOODSHED
The recent fighting along the Israel-Gaza frontier andlonger-range rocket salvoes that hit a major southern Israelicity had threatened to derail the statehood talks.
In protest at the bloodshed in Gaza, Abbas brieflysuspended the negotiations. They are due to resume later thisweek.
Egypt held inconclusive meetings on Thursday with leadersof Hamas and another militant group, Islamic Jihad. SeniorIsraeli defence official Amos Gilad visited Cairo over theweekend.
Over the past three days, Gaza militants from variousfactions have launched four rockets and 10 mortar bombs acrossthe frontier, the Israeli military said, compared with about 10to 15 rockets a day a week earlier.
"The efforts by Egypt are highly appreciated," said IsmailHaniyeh, prime minister of Hamas's government in the GazaStrip. He called the pause in Israeli attacks in Gaza a sign of"U.S. and Israeli recognition that our people are unbreakable".
An Israeli political source said there had been "anexchange of ideas" between Israel and Hamas via Egyptianmediators. The source did not elaborate.
The political source said Olmert was keen to calm violencewith Hamas so that talks with Abbas could make progress andenable him to present a viable peace platform to voters shouldthe statehood moves force a new Israeli election.
Amid much scepticism, Washington has said it hopes toachieve a deal before year's end on Palestinian statehood.
For Hamas, a ceasefire would be particularly attractive ifit included an easing of an Israeli-led Gaza blockade. Israeligenerals, however, are concerned Hamas might use a lull toregroup and rearm after last week's punishing Israelioffensive.
(Additional reporting by Adam Entous, Alastair Macdonaldand Avida Landau in Jerusalem and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza;editing by Andrew Roche)