Will Shehata Negotiate a Cease-Fire?

Israel Massing Troops & Tanks

Violence has flared between Gaza and Israel, as Israel seeks to end the daily rocket strikes that have been assailing Israeli cities. Israel has led three days of air strikes against Gaza, who is now calling for Israel to end its assault and “all acts of aggression and assassination,” as well as ending its blockade of Gaza. In return, Gaza will cease all rocket fire into Israel. Friday, rocket fire neared Jerusalem, leading to fears of a wider-scale war being lead by the Israeli forces. The following day, rockets were continually fired from Gaza, with one heading for Tel Aviv. The Israeli missile defense system, Iron Dome, neutralized the missile before any harm was done. As many as 400 rockets have stuck Israel since Wednesday, November 13, 2012, according to a report by the Israeli Defense Forces. A large number of Israeli troops and tanks have begun amassing near the Palestinian border, along with convoys carrying tens of thousands of soldiers. In addition, the Israeli government has called upon 75,000 reservist, leading many to fear a large-scale ground invasion. Amongst the destruction in Gaza, Israeli war planes completely leveled the Palestinian Cabinet building, destroying the office of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a police compound, and the Hamas Ministry of the Interior. Egyptian Intelligence Chief Mohammed Shehata is leading negotiations between Israel and Hamas in an effort to reach a cease-fire between the two forces. As of this writing, it is unknown how much, if any, headway has been gained by the negotiations.

Source: Israel Massing Troops & Tanks