Israel rejects sparing civilians the atrocities of the seemingly endless conflict

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, December 7 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The defiant Israeli government of Ariel Sharon announced Sunday, December 7, that it would categorically reject any agreement reached by Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo, throwing a spanner in earnest peace efforts.

"We will not accept half-measures and our only interlocutor is the Palestinian Authority," a source close to Sharon told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"For the moment, Israel is committed to the 'roadmap', whose parameters are known and which demands a total end to Palestinian terrorism.

"The Palestinian Authority knows what we are expecting of it and knows also that if terrorism persists we will draw our conclusions," the source added.

Observers believe Sharon wants "unconditional unilateral ceasefire from the Palestinian resistance factions", enabling him to prove that his iron-fist policies against the Palestinians have brought security to the Israelis.

Recent polls in the Jewish state have showed Sharon's popularity hitting new lows as time goes by.

Chief Palestinian resistance factions, notably Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, agreed during the Egyptian-sponsored talks Saturday, December 6, to "spare civilians" from resistance operations should Israel halt its daily aggressions on the Palestinian people.

Mohammad Nezal, a member of Hamas delegation to the talks, repudiated media reports that a truce was imminent, asserting that it was rebuffed by many factions.

Hamas officials further told IslamOnline.net that a ceasefire could not agreed upon on the nod without getting acquainted with the U.S. and Israeli guarantees and commitments.

Fatah's head to the talks Zakariya al-Agha suggested during Friday talks an internationally-supervised year-long truce between resistance groups and Israel.

According to the proposal, Israel should halt its aggression on the Palestinian people, withdraw to pre-Intifada positions, dismantle all settlements built since March 2001 and release all Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails.

The new round of talks was kicked off  Thursday, December 4, holding a three-hour meeting with the Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman.

Suleiman tabled a three-point program for the talks: mooting a plan of action for the next year, forming a unified political leadership and finally authorizing Ahmad Qorei’s government to move on the political arena.

The Palestinian premier himself arrived in the Egyptian capital late Saturday but delegates said the lack of progress at the talks had cast massive doubts over his participation.

Apparently unconvinced he can do business with Qorei, Sharon has been speaking recently of "unilateral measures" while remaining vague about what they would entail.