Middle East: Ceasefire and negotiations

Written by Super User 07 Aug 2014

At the time of preparing this article the latest Gaza ceasefire enters its second day. There is tentative relief to millions on both sides and Palestinian and Israeli teams prepare for tough talks in Cairo. Riyad al-Maliki, Palestinian foreign minister, said he expected the ceasefire to expand beyond 72 hours. The small teams of delegates bring conflicting demands. Palestinians want open border crossings. (Not only Israel has closed borders. The Egyptian regime is hostile to Hamas and suspicious of political Islam. Only 140 injured Gazans have gone to Egyptian hospitals since 8 July. See:  Meanwhile Israel wants Gaza fully demilitarised. The US is also due to participate in the Cairo talks. ‘We are determining at what level and in what capacity and when,’ said the US State Department spokesperson in Washington. Riyad al-Maliki complained to The Hague of war crimes committed by Israel. Israel said it did its utmost to avoid civilian casualties, accusing Hamas of putting people in harm's way by launching rockets from densely populated districts.

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