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Hamas Claim Complicates Talk of Truce with Israel

(New York Times) Jodi Rudoren - Confusion continued Saturday over the status of cease-fire talks Egypt is conducting between Hamas and Israel, as the Hamas prime minister announced progress regarding restrictions on the movements of fishermen and farmers in the border area, which the Israeli prime minister's office denied. Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Netanyahu, said Saturday that "nothing has changed on the ground or at sea until it is agreed to by Israel and Egypt." "The arrangements negotiated with Egypt led to an immediate cessation of hostile activities. All other factors will be negotiated in an expeditious manner directly with the Egyptians." "Hamas is definitely trying to score points here," said Mkhaimar Abusada, a political scientist at Al Azhar University in Gaza City. "Hamas is trying to say that the cease-fire is in the interest of Hamas and is in the interest of the Palestinians." Abusada noted that Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar told a news conference that Gaza militants had shot down seven Israeli aircraft during the conflict, something Abusada called "a big lie." "We know this didn't happen, so this is part of raising morale, part of playing with the emotions of Palestinians."
2012-11-26 00:00:00
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