Word: gaza
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...towns that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert entered into what his critics decry as a pact with the devil. But many in Olmert's cabinet and among his top generals say this was the only sensible course of action: The alternative would have been a full-blown Israeli invasion of Gaza and a drawn-out campaign that would have killed hundreds of Palestinians and Israeli soldiers - and even then, such an offensive would not likely have dislodged Hamas or eliminated its potential to fire rockets at Israel...
...first step of the Egypt-brokered truce is elementary: They agreed, as of 6 a.m. Thursday, to stop shooting at each other. If that undertaking holds, Israel in several days will reopen the crossings into Gaza. This will effectively end the economic siege imposed a year ago after Hamas seized control of Gaza from the Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas. The economic relief will not come a moment too soon: On Thursday, TIME witnessed a long row of men standing shoulder to shoulder in the Gaza surf, as if gathered for prayer. One or two men would wade furiously...
...next phase, Israel and Hamas will start indirect talks, through the Egyptians, to trade captured Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Once Shalit is freed, says Israeli negotiator Amos Gilad, Israel will then agree to allow the reopening of Rafah, the main crossing between Gaza and Egypt, as long as it is manned by European Union monitors. Egypt will also undertake the near-impossible task of stopping arms from being smuggled into Gaza; Israelis are worried, with good reason, that Hamas will use the truce to rearm itself with longer-range and more accurate missiles...
...Both Olmert and Hamas need it. The Israeli Prime Minister, who is being investigated for possible corruption, needs to rebuild his image and thinks he can do it by halting the barrage of rockets fired into southern Israel. Hamas needs the truce because, after a year of hardship in Gaza, its public support is wearing thin...
...Some Gazans praise Hamas for restoring security by arresting kidnappers and armed gangs of thugs, but others complain quietly that the Islamic militants are ruthless and methodical in curbing other militias and political foes from operating in the Strip. On the other hand, says one Gaza observer, "Hamas can now order the other militias to abide by the cease-fire, which it couldn't do before." All major resistance groups signed on to the Egyptian-sponsored truce...