Hamas Vows Truce

[Christina]

HAMAS VOWS FULL TRUCE IF ISRAEL HELPS END BOYCOTTMarch 7, 2007Ha’aretz reports: “If Israel agrees to persuade the international community not to boycott the new Palestinian unity government, the Palestinians ‘will offer a promise from Hamas and Fatah of a total cease-fire with Israel, including a complete halt to Qassam [rocket] fire and suicide bombings,’ a senior Hamas official told Ha’aretz on Tuesday.Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas plans to deliver this offer at his upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian sources said. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, thought according to the Palestinians, the date has not yet been finalized.However, the Hamas official warned, if Israel presses for a continuation of the international boycott and refuses to work with the unity government, the existing partial cease-fire will be in danger.Olmert, however, plans to use the meeting to urge Abbas to ensure that the new government, which is currently being formed, accepts the Quartet's conditions: recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and honoring previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.‘This will not be a scolding conversation,’ said a government source, ‘but a heart-to-heart talk in which Olmert will try to exploit the grace period that remains before the new PA government is established.’Israel is also working to persuade the European Union - one of the Quartet's four members, along with the United States, Russia and the United Nations - to continue the boycott should the unity government not meet these three conditions, laid down by the Quartet last year.Olmert has no plans to announce any additional steps to ease Palestinian life at his meeting with Abbas. This will be their third meeting over the last three months…”