Israel’s Foreign Minister has said his country will not accept a ceasefire from Palestinian militant groups unless the Palestinian Authority then dismantles them. Raising the bar for peace, Silvan Shalom said a ceasefire without such agreement would merely allow the Islamic militant group Hamas to rebuild its armed wing and prepare new strikes. The Palestinian Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas, visited the war-torn Gaza strip yesterday to try to persuade militant groups to agree to a hudna, or temporary Islamic truce. But the US President, George Bush, said the world must “deal harshly” with Hamas, which he blames for the near-collapse of the “road map” to peace, while a prominent Republican senator has suggested US troops may have to go after them. The Palestinian Information Minister, Nabil Amr, said he believed a six-month hudna would be agreed within 48 hours. But Mr Shalom told Israeli Army Radio terrorist groups’ infrastructure must be dismantled. Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.