The Egyptian-mediated inter-Palestinian cease-fire talks resumed in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday amid fresh indications that Hamas and Islamic Jihad might soften their conditions for a new truce with Israel, Khaled Amayreh reports from Jerusalem The resumption of cease-fire talks coincided with the arrival in Gaza of two high-ranking Egyptian security officials who had played pivotal roles in initiating and overseeing the last round of talks that ended indecisively in Cairo on 7 December. The two officials, Mustafa El-Beheiri and Mohamed Ibrahim, held talks with Palestinian Authority security officials and later with the leaders of the main resistance factions, including Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad. Earlier, Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders called for the resumption of the talks "at any time", indicating that the two groups might relax their conditions for a cease-fire. "We are willing and ready to make utmost efforts in order to make the national dialogue talks successful," said Islamic Jihad official Nafez Azzam. He denied that the previous Cairo talks failed, saying that the talks achieved a number of "valuable understandings". Hamas and Fatah officials made similar remarks stressing the continuity of the "national unity talks" and expressing hope that the Palestinian Authority and resistance factions would eventually reach a common concordance on how to deal with the present predicament with Israel. Palestinian sources intimated that the Egyptian delegation will present the resistance groups with "certain American guarantees" that Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman obtained during his recent visit to the US. These guarantees reportedly include a tacit commitment that Israel would put an end to its "assassination policy" and stop all repressive measures against Palestinian population centres, such as the destruction of homes, private farms, orchards and public infrastructure. Hamas has also demanded that in return for an extended cease-fire, the Sharon government would have to stop building the separation wall in the West Bank and release thousands of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and detention camps. However, it is highly unlikely that Israel will agree to halt construction of the wall that is devouring large tracts of Palestinian land. Israel also adamantly refuses to release Palestinian prisoners whom it views as "bargaining chips" to be used to extract political concessions from the Palestinians in any final-status talks. Palestinian willingness to pursue a cease-fire agreement that could put an end to 40 months of bloodshed and destruction is virtually an unprecedented move since the Palestinian nakba, or catastrophe, of 1948. However, this does not reflect any Palestinian optimism vis-à-vis the Sharon government. Indeed, Sharon vowed on several occasions this week to continue building the separation wall, which effectively kills any prospect of a viable Palestinian state on the West Bank. The Israeli prime minister is also expected to reaffirm his commitment to that effect during a keynote speech he will give at the annual Strategic Forum in Hertzlya, near Tel Aviv, on Thursday. On Tuesday, Sharon reiterated his intention to annex more than half of the West Bank, including most of the large settlements such as Ma'ali Adomim, Ariel, Pisgat Zeiv and the so- called Gush Etzion bloc north of Hebron. In order to mollify possible international criticism -- particularly from America -- Sharon is likely to propose "conciliatory steps" and "gestures" towards the Palestinians, including the removal of "illegal" and "isolated" settlement outposts and unspecified measures to ease Palestinian living conditions. Sharon seems determined to carry out his own vision of a final settlement with the Palestinians, which is based on annexing as much as 56 per cent of the West Bank while caging the estimated 2.3 million Palestinians living there in three disconnected enclaves cut off from each other and isolated from the outside world. Sharon is likely to seek political cover for his plan with talk of "the painful concessions" he is willing to make for peace. In fact, Israel has already taken some steps towards this theatrical campaign by claiming to have begun "dismantling" a number of "illegal settlement outposts". And in order to generate maximal media coverage, "confrontations" and scuffles were played out before TV cameras to show the world that Sharon is "making hard and painful concessions" in the face of ferocious internal opposition. In truth, however, the Sharon government is taking no significant steps to remove substantial settlements. This week, a high-ranking Israeli officer told the state-run radio that "no real settlements are being dismantled". "We are removing some rusty caravans from some hilltops and giving the world an impression that settlements are being removed," said the unidentified officer. His remarks have been corroborated by the Israeli Peace Now group, which accused the Sharon government of lying to the world. Likewise, Israeli Knesset member and former cabinet minister Yossi Sarid accused Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz of lying about dismantling illegal settlements. Sarid alleged that Israel was carrying out nothing of substance, but merely putting on a public relations campaign aimed at appeasing the Americans. Sharon's theatrics were augmented with continued Israeli atrocities in the West Bank. This week, Israeli occupation troops killed more than 13 Palestinians, most of them innocent civilians. Israel's fresh victims include two Palestinian workers who were killed while trying to cross the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The 1.3 million Gazans suffer abject poverty and many are reportedly on the brink of starvation due to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. According to recent statistics, unemployment among Gazans has surpassed 70 per cent. More than 64 per cent of Gazans are actually Palestinian refugees expelled from what is now Israel.
