Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, the infrastructure minister to Israel along with Shaul Mofaz, the transport minister both say that offers of a truce from Hamas should be under serious consideration. Currently, the government refuses to negotiate with Hamas until it recognizes the state of Israel. Hamas currently controls the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Eliezer said that recognition of Israel should not be a precondition for talks with Hamas.
“If Hamas comes to us with a serious proposal for a long-term truce, in my opinion Israel should not reject it,” he said on Israeli public radio.
He adds: “For that, it would not be vital for Hamas to recognize Israel first.”
“What is essential is that it stop rocket fire and all other attacks against Israel from Gaza and that it agrees to stop arms smuggling on the Egypt border,” he also added.
Mr. Mofaz gave the suggestion that Israel talk to Hamas through a third party. However, the office of Ehud Olmert, Israel’s Prime Minister explained that it has not received any messages regarding a truce.
Olmert’s spokesman reiterated that the country will not deal with Hamas until it recognized Israel along with renouncing violence and accepting past peace accords.
Hamas has always refused to do all three things.
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