Hamas has turned down a recent proposal by the secretary general of the Arab League, ‘Amru Mousa, for a unilateral truce stopping rocket firing into Israel, sources in Gaza said.
The proposal, which was presented to Hamas leader, Khalid Mash’al during Mousa’s visit to Damascus last week, also suggests declaring a unilateral cease-fire with Israel.
The plan, according to the League’s sources, was meant to stop the current military operation against Hamas and avoid further escalation and a likely massive Israeli invasion of Gaza.
Mash’al refused the proposal and insisted that any cease-fire with Israel should be part of a mutual truce leading to the lifting of the siege and opening all terminals, including the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border with Gaza.
Hamas is also still refusing an Egyptian plan to reopen the Rafah terminal despite the fact that it gives the Islamic group a key role at the terminal, and wants a new deal excluding both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Hamas, which has been in de facto control of Gaza since last June, opposes the 2005 agreement that was signed between the P.A. and Israel that ensured Israel's full control over the terminal through European Union observers.
In 2005 the Rafah crossing, between Gaza and Egypt, was handed over by Israeli to be operated by P.A. Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas’ security forces, with EU observers monitoring the operation.
In June 2007, following the infighting between Hamas and Fatah which resulted in Hamas taking power from Fatah in the Gaza Strip, the EU observers left the terminal after Israel decided to close the Egyptian-Palestinian terminal.
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