[THS] Silence in Israel on Hamas proposal

[Peter Webster]

Silence in Israel on Hamas proposal:

THE Israeli Government says it is not commenting on an apparent offer
by Hamas, relayed by the former US president Jimmy Carter, of peace
in exchange for an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and
Gaza.
http://tinyurl.com/53f45g

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Hamas: We'll give final response to truce proposal on Thursday:

Hamas lawmaker Salah Bardawil also said that Hamas is considering
whether to accept a truce with Israel which would take effect just in the
Gaza Strip.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/976967.html

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Abbas says Carter visit lacked "positive results" :

Carter said after private meetings with Hamas leaders in Egypt and
Syria last week that the Islamist group, which is shunned by Israel,
Abbas and the West, would accept a peace deal signed by the
Palestinian president if it passed a referendum.
http://tinyurl.com/4jeeo5

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Rice: U.S. explicitly warned Carter not to meet with Hamas :

"The United States is not going to deal with Hamas and we had
certainly told President Carter that we did not think meeting with Hamas
was going to help further a political settlement between Israel and the
Palestinians."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/977044.html

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Israel Strengthens Hamas Leadership:

The one political result of Israel's attacks and sanctions on Gaza has
been that the Hamas leadership, and particularly Gaza Prime Minister
Ismail Haniyeh, have emerged greatly strengthened.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42079

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