cease-fire beginning fromtomorrowAugust 5th. The 3-day cease fire,
which was proposed by Egypt, will be a "pure humanitarian cease-fire,"
with no military action.
Both governments are expected to sittomorrowand deliberate on their
terms and conditions for a total cease fire.
Earlier today, Egypt which is serving as a mediator, presented the
Palestinians' demands to Israel, which includes an end to the blockade
on Gaza of goods and people, the release of recently rearrested
prisoners who had been freed in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange;
the reconstruction of Gaza, including the port and the airport; and
the extension of Palestinian fishing rights to 12 nautical miles.
Israelon Sundaybegan withdrawing troops from areas of Gaza after
saying that its military had completed a main objective of the ground
assault - the destruction of infiltration tunnels from Gaza into
Israeli communities on the border with the coastal strip.
Though both sides have agreed to the cease-fire, they still seem
suspicious of one another.
From CNN
"The onus is on Hamas," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said
shortly after announcing on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" that
Israel had accepted the Egyptian proposal.
"We are entering this with our eyes open. ...We have been burnt more than once."
The sentiment was similar from Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan, who told
CNN as long as Israel honors the agreement, so will the Palestinians.
News of the cease-fire comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu vowed Monday to finish the military operation to destroy
Hamas' network of tunnels.
"This operation will end only when quiet and security are restored to
the citizens of Israel for a lengthy period," he said.
The remaining tunnels are few, according to IDF spokeswoman Lt. Libby
Weiss. "Those remaining numbers are in the single digits, between one
and three," she said.
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