Gaza truce begins……..

A truce between Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel took effect on Sunday, heralding a possible end to a wave of rocket attacks on the Jewish state and a halt to a five-month-old Israeli military offensive.Israel Radio reported a rocket landed in southern Israel an hour after the truce began but no one was hurt. The Israeli army said it was checking the report and it was unclear whether the rocket was fired by mainstream militants or a small group.

“Yes, (the cease-fire) is in effect,” said Abu Ubeida, of the armed wing of the governing Islamist Hamas group. “We will monitor the commitment of the enemy to the agreement and decide on the future as it unfolds.”

Hamas said its armed wing fired three rockets at Israel just before the cease-fire took effect at 6 a.m. (0400 GMT). The rockets damaged a building but caused no injuries, the Israeli army said.

The cease-fire could pave the way for a long-awaited summit between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on ways to restart Middle East peace talks.

It could also speed up efforts to arrange a swap of Palestinian prisoners in Israel for an Israeli soldier whose capture by gunmen in a cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip in late June sparked the Israeli military assault.

But I would not hold my breathe.  The Palestinians have a track record that proves they do not keep their word,  saying one thing in the Israeli’s face all the while stabbing them in the back.  Palestinians hate Israeli’s and will never stop warring against them.   Like past truces this too will be short lived.

 Copyright © 2006 Layla Gonzalez