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Middle East Cease-Fire Fails
Israeli forces and Palestinian militants intensified attacks on each other Tuesday. Earlier, the Palestinian group Hamas rejected an Egyptian cease-fire plan. Hamas governs the Gaza area from which militants launch rocket attacks against Israel.
The Israeli military began a campaign of airstrikes in Gaza last week following rocket attacks from the area. At least 190 mostly civilian Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli attacks. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed as well.
On Tuesday, Hamas leaders rejected the Egyptian plan. Some of the group’s military leaders said the plan was a “surrender” to Israel. Earlier in the day, the Israeli cabinet accepted the plan. But Israel said it restarted airstrikes sixhours after accepting the deal, in answer to 50 rocket attacks from Gaza. TheIsraeli military said its missile defense system blocked rockets above threecities Tuesday.
Hamas says it was not included in negotiations to end the conflict. Thecease-fire called for an end to the attacks, the opening of the borders withGaza, and talks between Hamas and Israel. The talks were to take place inEgypt within two days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters the Israeli militarywould increase its attacks if Hamas does not accept a cease-fire.
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Smoke rises after an Israeli missile strike in Gaza City, July 15, 2014. The Israeli military has resumed airstrikes on Gaza after Hamas militants violated a de-escalation brokered by Egypt. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
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“If Hamas rejects the Egyptian proposal and the rocket fire from Gaza doesnot cease -- and that appears to be the case now -- we are prepared tocontinue and intensify our operation to protect our people.”
Talal Okal is a Palestinian newspaper opinion writer. He says the Israelimilitary operations have helped strengthen support for Hamas.
“For the moment, the popularity of Hamas increased, you know, because thepeople saw something happen for the first time, you know -- the resistance isready and able to, to respond, to defend, to do something.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to reporters in Vienna, AustriaTuesday. He criticized Hamas for continuing its rocket attacks on Israel.
“I cannot condemn strongly enough the actions of Hamas in so brazenly firingrockets, in multiple numbers, in the face of a goodwill effort to offer a cease-fire in which Egypt and Israel joined together and the international communitystrongly supports the idea of a cease-fire, the need, the compelling need tohave a cease-fire.”
Late Monday, President Obama attended a gathering celebrating the Muslimholy month of Ramadan. He said he was pleased by the Egyptian plan for acease-fire.
“And I will say very clearly no country can accept rockets fired indiscriminatelyat citizens. And so we have been very clear that Israel has the right to defenditself against what I consider to be inexcusable attacks from Hamas. At thesame time, on top of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that we’ve worked longand hard to alleviate, the death and injury of Palestinian civilians is a tragedy,which is why we’ve emphasized the need to protect civilians regardless ofwho they are or where they live.”
I’m Christopher Cruise.
