Hamas ready to restore ceasefire

15/06/2006 - 12:48:00
The Hamas-led Palestinian government today said the Islamic group was prepared to restore a cease-fire with Israel, several days after calling off the truce to protest against a deadly explosion on a Gaza beach.

“This is very clear for us. We are interested to keep the situation and quit, especially in the Gaza Strip,” said government spokesman Ghazi Hamad in Gaza City. “We are ready to do it, but (only) if the Israeli side has a strong intention to respond positively to the call … to stop their aggression.”

Hamas called an end to the February 2005 truce last Friday after eight Palestinian beachgoers were killed in an explosion that Palestinians have blamed on Israel. The Israeli army says it wasn’t involved in the blast.

Hamas fired several dozen rockets toward southern Israel over the weekend. But in recent days, there has been a lull in the Hamas rocket fire.

Israeli officials today said the lull was due to threats against Hamas. Israeli officials earlier this week threatened to begin killing Hamas leaders, including prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, if the rocket fire continued.

The Islamic Jihad militant group, which has never accepted the truce, fired five rockets towards Israel today.