Hamas calls Israel truce terms 'unacceptable'

போரின் 20ம்  நாள்,  குழந்தைகள்,பெண்கள்,ஊனமுற்றோர்,முதியோர்,பொதுமக்கள், சில போராளிகள் 1050 பேர் பலியெடுப்பு! 

Hamas calls Israel truce terms 'unacceptable'

Palestinian group says ceasefire should include withdrawal of Israeli troops and deal for residents to return to homes.

Last updated: 26 Jul 2014 23:04

At least 1,049 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the fighting since July 8 [AP]
Palestinian group Hamas has said an Israeli offer to extend a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza is unacceptable because it does not include provision for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and for residents in the enclave to return to their homes.

Israel's security cabinet earlier approved extending the humanitarian ceasefire, which begun early on Saturday, until midnight local time (2100 GMT) on Sunday.

"At the request of the United Nations, the cabinet has approved a humanitarian hiatus until tomorrow (Sunday) at 24:00.
The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) will act against any breach of the ceasefire," an Israeli official said in a statement.

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, told Al Jazeera that "any humanitarian ceasefire that doesn't include the complete withdrawal of its positions in the Gaza Strip, doesn’t enable the residents to go back to their homes and doesn’t allow the evacuation of the wounded, is unacceptable."  

An earlier extension of the ceasefire, until midnight local time on Saturday, was broken shortly after 8pm, with the Israeli military announcing three mortar rounds had been fired from Gaza into southern Israel.

There was no damage and reports said the military did not regard the incident as a major violation.

Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Gaza, said she had been told there was no agreement among Palestinian factions in Gaza on extending the ceasefire.

"We've had it confirmed that the al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) has fired rockets at Israel. What they're saying is a four-hour ceasefire at night doesn't serve any purpose and the people will agree with them," Dekker said.

After the ceasefire began early on Saturday, Gazans took advantage of the lull in fighting to retrieve their dead and stock up on food, flooding into the streets to discover scenes of massive destruction in some areas.

At least 1,049 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed and more than 6,000 injured since Israel launched its offensive on July 8.

Israel said five more of its soldiers were killed in pre-truce fighting in Gaza and two others died of their wounds in hospital, bringing the army death toll to 42 as troops battled fighters in the tiny Mediterranean enclave that is home to 1.8 million Palestinians.

Three civilians, including two Israeli citizens and a Thai labourer, have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza.

Source: Al Jazeera