MediaLine reports that the truce between Israel and the Palestinian factions in Gaza continues to hold after its first day, despite being tested by Qassam rocket fire. The Palestinian Authority deployed 13,000 security troops in order to prevent terrorist groups from firing the homemade weapons in an effort to upset the nascent peace initiative.
Talk has already begun concerning extending the cease-fire into the West Bank even as senior Israeli army officers are vigorously arguing that the respite is giving Hamas time to rearm, particularly by smuggling weapons through tunnels from Egypt into Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has backed away from his threat to begin "the third Intifada" if there is no Palestinian state within six months. He made his initial comments in Cairo on Saturday, but on Sunday, he told a program on state-controlled television that eight months to a year was acceptable, too. He said, "The most important thing is that the Palestinian people will not giveup their rights. They will not surrender and will carry on their struggle."
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