Hamas is putting conditions on any truce offer. In addition to an end the airstrikes, senior Palestinian negotiator Nabil Sha'ath said Hamas is demanding the end to Israel's long blockade of Gaza. The territory has been under a crippling economic embargo since Hamas won control of the territory from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank.
Hamas also wants Israel to stop targeting the leadership of Palestinian factions and to expand the waters Palestinian fishermen are allowed to trawl from three miles offshore to 30, said Sha'ath, who is also a Fatah leader.
"The attempt is to reach a real stable situation. That's why they are asking for commitment on Israeli typical aggression and periodic incursions and constant shooting and firing at the fishermen in the sea," he said.
Israel, meanwhile, has demanded an end to the rocket attacks.
Militants in Gaza had fired nearly 1,000 rockets at Israel, the IDF reported. More than 340 had been intercepted, including 41 of the 146 fired Sunday, the military said.
Israel, meanwhile, carried out 130 strikes during the day, raising to 1,350 sites targeted since it began its bombing campaign on Wednesday, according to the IDF. The Israel Defense Forces have struck government buildings, police stations and the homes of Hamas officials as well as rocket launching sites and suspected storage facilities.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/19/world ... ?hpt=hp_c1The fighting has put new strains on Israel's relationship with Egypt, which is attempting to broker a cease-fire. The Muslim Brotherhood-led government that took power in June has pledged to maintain Egypt's peace treaty with Israel -- the cornerstone of what peace has been achieved in the turbulent region -- but sympathy for the Palestinians runs deep among Egyptians.
The United States and several European countries have put the brunt of the blame for the current crisis on Hamas, saying Israel has a right to self-defense, while Arab and Muslim nations have accused Israel of being the aggressor.
