Olmert rules out ceasefire as strikes on Hamas continue

Ehud Olmert has ruled out any chance of a ceasefire in Gaza, despite offers from Hamas, and has vowed to wage "true war" between Israel and the Palestinian group.

In recent days there have been suggestions that Hamas, which won Palestinian elections early last year and then seized full control of Gaza in June, was seeking a ceasefire with Israel.

Last week Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, raised the idea in a rare telephone conversation with an Israeli television journalist. Egyptian mediators have reportedly also put forward a ceasefire proposal on behalf of Hamas.

But Olmert said there would be no talks with any group that failed to meet the principles of the Quartet of Middle East negotiators - the US, the UN, the EU and Russia - which last year called on Hamas to recognise Israel, halt violence and accept previous peace agreements. Hamas has refused to accept the three principles.

"Whoever accepts the Quartet principles will be - in principle - a partner for negotiations," Olmert said. "Whoever is unwilling to do so, to our regret, cannot be a partner for dialogue. This policy will not change."

This is a common refrain of Olmert's which ignores the fact that Hamas have already offered to recognise Israel as part of it's power sharing deal with Fatah after Israel, the US and the EU refused to accept the results of the Palestinian elections:

Despite face-saving denials from Hamas over the extent of its political concessions, Mr Abbas yesterday secured an agreement that commits all parties in government to recognise Israel and authorises him to negotiate a final agreement to establish an independent Palestinian state on territories occupied in 1967.

Mr Abbas's aides described Hamas's endorsement of the agreement, drawn up by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, as a "surrender to reality" and "showing the world that the Palestinians are partners for peace".

"The document recognises the state of Israel and the PLO," said Mr Abbas's spokesman, Walid Awad. "Hamas has signed the document and has recognised the PLO and its agreements. It's clear. It is an important way forward, a way forward for the Hamas moderates."

Olmert is now setting out to destroy Hamas altogether, whilst claiming that he is simply trying to stop rocket attacks into Israel.

Yesterday Haim Ramon, Israel's deputy prime minister, confirmed that his government wanted to topple Hamas.

"We are fighting Hamas and are seeking to weaken its control of Gaza, and bring about the end of its reign there. Hamas should hand over control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority," he said.

And all the while, despite the recent Annapolis summit, illegal land grabbing continues.

In a separate development, an Israeli cabinet minister confirmed that Israel had new plans to build apartments in two settlements in East Jerusalem and in the occupied West Bank. The announcement brought quick condemnation from Palestinian leaders and presents a new obstacle to attempts to revive peace talks between the two sides.

Under the first phase of the US road map, which once again is being used as the basis for talks, Israel has committed to halting all settlement activity and to removing some of its furthest settlements.

However, Israel's construction ministry has budgeted plans to build 740 new settlement apartments next year: 500 in Har Homa, in East Jerusalem, and another 240 in Ma'ale Adumim.

So Olmert is refusing to accept a ceasefire whilst continuing to build on occupied land. And there were cynics like myself who dismissed Annapolis as a photo opportunity. What were we thinking?

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