Hamas Folding?

Ha'aretz is reporting that Hamas just may have blinked.

Senior Fatah sources in Gaza said on Saturday Hamas is ready to accept a deal that involves freeing abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, a joint cease-fire and an end to IDF actions in the Gaza Strip.

What is not clear is whether Khaled Meshal, the Hamas leader in Damascus, will sanction the Egyptian-brokered deal.

The initiative, proposed by Egypt and discussed by Palestinian leaders in Gaza in the last few days, consists of freeing Gilad Shalit, a joint cease-fire and the cessation of the IDF's assassinations in the Gaza Strip and freeing Palestinian prisoners later on.

The deal also includes understandings to set up a national unity government.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met Hamas parliament members and leaders in Gaza, urging them to accept the deal before American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's arrival this week.

Most Palestinian factions, including the Hamas leadership, agreed to the deal in principle, but argued that Israel is not ready for a cease-fire as long as Shalit is held captive. Fatah's leadership also rejects a unilateral cease-fire at this stage.

Egypt, meanwhile, is continuing its efforts to persuade Hamas leaders overseas and in Gaza to free Shalit in exchange for Egyptian guarantees to release Palestinian prisoners later on, as part of a comprehensive cease-fire deal.

Dr Salah al-Bardawil, head of the Hamas parliamentary faction, told Haaretz that if Israel stops its actions in Gaza, most streams would accept a cease-fire.

He added, however, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh already proposed a unilateral cease-fire and Israel rejected it.

Hamas leaders in Gaza are interested in separating the negotiations over the Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit from Hezbollah's negotiations over Lebanese prisoners. Bardawil stressed that there is no cooperation between Hamas and Hezbollah about the prisoner exchange negotiations.

This is amazing if true. One wonders exactly how much pressure Hamas came under from the Arab goverments that really do not want an ascendant Iran becoming a regional power.