Apparently concerned that the Israelis might adopt the tougher tactics that their citizens wanted used against Hezbollah, Mahmoud Abbas has declared a unilateral cease-fire in the West Bank and Gaza. He claims to have the support of all armed groups in this stand-down agreement, and hopes to end the Israeli offensive in Gaza:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that Palestinian armed groups promised him they would suspend their attacks on Israel in hopes of ending a nearly 2-month-long Israeli crackdown in the Gaza Strip.

[...]

This demonstrates that the Israelis gained something from their actions in Lebanon, and earlier in Gaza. The Olmert government may have mishandled the military strategy in their Lebanon incursion -- almost certainly they did -- but their ferocious response to what had been routine provocations made an impression on both Hezbollah and the Palestinian fighters. The latter want to bring an end to the fighting before the Israelis redeploy their retreating troops into the two Palestinian areas.

[Read the whole thing.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 18, 2006 at 11:35 AM in Bill Faith, Islamism Delenda Est, Israel | Permalink

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