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Ex-Israeli defence officials for indirect talks with
Hamas
Jerusalem—A number of former Israeli army and
security officials have told the government they support indirect
talks with Hamas and are opposed to any large-scale military assault
on the Gaza Strip, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Sunday. The
officials sent a letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other top
ministers urging indirect negotiations to reach a long-term
ceasefire with Hamas, the Islamist movement which seized control of
Gaza almost a year ago.
“Recognising that ending the Hamas regime in Gaza is not a realistic
goal and that reinstating Fatah in the Gaza Strip by means ofIsraeli
bayonets is not desirable... non-public negotiations should take
place with Hamas through Egypt or anyone else acceptable to both
sides,” they wrote.
Signatories include ex-Mossad head Ephraim Halevi, former army chief
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak and the former commander of Israeli troops in
Gaza, Shmuel Zakai. The defence chiefs said a major military
operation in Gaza, an impoverished sliver of land that is home to
1.5 million Palestinians, would involve heavy losses on both sides
and end with a ceasefire in any case.
Opposition left-wing lawmaker Yossi Beilin, one of the architects of
the 1993 Oslo accords with the Palestinians, also endorsed the
indirect talks, which should also lead to the release of Israeli
soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by Palestinian commandos in 2006.
Lipkin-Shahak told Haaretz that the letter had been sent a month
ago, acknowleding that Israel is now talking with Egypt about a
possible Gaza truce with armed Palestinian factions including Hamas.
Egypt has been acting as mediator because Israel refuses any direct
contact with Hamas which it considers a terrorist organisation. “In
my opinion it is correct to speak with Eygpt to reach a ceasefire
with Hamas on the condition that it includes all the organisations
in the Strip and does not apply to the West Bank,” Lipkin-Shahak
told Haaretz.
The officials also called for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and
US representatives to be involved in the indirect talks. Hamas
announced Friday that it would send a delegation to Egypt on Monday
for a new round of talks with mediators.
In exchange for stopping rocket attacks against southern Israel,
Hamas wants Israel to lift a punishing blockade of Gaza and reopen
border crossings, especially Rafah on the border with Egypt. Besides
ceasing rocket fire, Israel has demanded an end to arms smuggling
from Egypt’s Sinai peninsula and progress in negotiations for
Shalit’s release.—AFP
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