Israel Matzav

Cease fire in Gaza, rockets in Lebanon

I guess Prime Minister Netanyahu decided that he did not want to destroy Hamas badly enough to give Gaza and most of Judea and Samaria to 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen . And so, a cease fire is to take effect between Israel and Hamas at 9:00 pm Israel time, around when I am writing this post.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr made the announcement in a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

"These efforts ... have resulted in understandings to cease fire and restore calm and halt the bloodshed that the last period has seen," Amr said.

Israel has agreed to the truce, but will not lift its blockade of Gaza as part of the deal, according to an Israeli official.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman were set to  address the media at 8.30 pm. Wednesday night.

Netanyahu told US President Barack Obama on Wednesday he was ready to give a cease-fire with Hamas a chance, his office said in a statement.

"(Netanyahu) spoke a short while ago with President Barack Obama and agreed to his recommendation to give the Egyptian cease-fire proposal a chance, and in this way provide an opportunity to stabilize the situation and calm it before any more forceful action would be necessary," an Israeli statement said.

 Let's see if the cease fire holds up (or more likely, how much Israel is willing to let Hamas get away with). In the meantime, Israel has another front to handle: Two mortar shells from Lebanon hit Metulla a short while ago.

Police said Wednesday that two mortar shells fired from Lebanon likely fell near the border fence in the Metulla area.

The IDF was investigating the incident.

Time to mow the other lawn?

UPDATE 10:18 PM

IDF now says no mortars in Metulla, explosion source in Lebanon.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Gaza, Hamas, Hezbullah, Hillary Clinton, Lebanon, Operation Pillar of Defense

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:13 PM