“Now It Is Finally Clear To Everyone…”

"…that these rockets do more damage to Palestinians than Israelis," said Qais Abu Leila, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization. This is an enormous development. The Guardian reports on the potential offer of a ceasefire from the Palestinians in Gaza.

Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have agreed to stop firing rockets at Israel and to free a captured Israeli soldier in a deal brokered by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.

The deal, agreed on Sunday, is to halt the rocket attacks in return for a cessation of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, and to release Corporal Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier captured on June 25, in exchange for the freeing of Palestinian prisoners at some point in the future.

An adviser to Mr Abbas told the Guardian that all Palestinian politicians were united on the need to free the Israeli soldier and stop all violence in Gaza, but the obstacles were the Israeli government and the Hamas leadership in Damascus.

"The problem is that both Islamic Jihad and Hamas have to seek the advice of their political bureaux in Damascus and we are waiting for their response," he said.

Ibrahim al-Naja, a Hamas minister in Ramallah, told the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz: "This initiative was presented in an attempt to alleviate Palestinian suffering, but now it depends on Israel, which is showing no indication yet of its willingness for a ceasefire."

The ceasefire has yet to take hold completely but there has been a marked reduction in the number of rockets fired at Israel. A spokeswoman for the Israeli army said 16 Qassam rockets were fired at Israel on Sunday, seven on Monday and three on Tuesday. None caused any injuries.

Qais Abu Leila, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said the Hizbullah rocket attacks had highlighted the futility of Palestinian attempt to build home-made rockets. "Now it is finally clear to everyone that these rockets do more damage to Palestinians than Israelis," he said.

The Israeli army has withdrawn from all areas of the Gaza Strip but is still firing shells and carrying out air attacks. Five civilians, including two children, were killed by Israeli shells on Monday. An adviser to Amir Peretz, the defence minister, said there was still no agreement but added: "There are negotiations going on."

I had an earlier post on proportionality linked by a left-leaning site that did not agree with my opinion that a slap should be responded to with a roundhouse.

I think the roundhouse got the Palestinian's attention this time. And now maybe the two sides can work toward true proportionality of zero for zero.