US, Israel Sign Agreement to Help Truce in Gaza

Here we go....Should we stick our noses in, once again? Not militarily, at least.

What do you think?

US, Israel sign agreement to help truce in Gaza
By DPA
Jan 16, 2009, 16:24 GMT

Washington - The United States and Israel signed a bilateral deal Friday to help curb arms smuggling to Gaza as part of an effort to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the memorandum of understanding would improve information sharing between the two countries to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas, one of Israel's chief goals in its deadly three-week incursion into the Gaza Strip.

The deal 'should be thought of as one of the elements of trying to help bring into being a durable ceasefire ... that can actually hold,' Rice said in Washington, adding she hoped a truce would be reached 'very, very soon.'

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who was in Washington to sign the agreement, called it a 'historic' deal that was a 'vital component for the cessation of hostilities.'

Israel launched its Gaza offensive on December 27 in a bid to curb near-daily rocket and mortar attacks from Hamas militants in the strip at its south.

More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive and the aid agencies have warned of an urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Thirteen Israelis have also been killed, including three civilians.

Egypt has taken the lead in trying to broker a ceasefire between the two sides, but Rice made no guarantees that a truce would take hold before president-elect Barack Obama takes office on Tuesday.

'We're working at it on as quick a timeline as we possibly can in support of the Egyptian mediation,' Rice said.

Under the two-and-a-half page agreement, the US agrees to commit resources, such as intelligence and technology sharing, to help prevent Hamas from re-arming.

Rice said she hoped Friday's signing would be followed by similar deals between Israel and other European countries. On Thursday she spoke by telephone with a series of foreign ministers including Egypt, France, Britain, Spain and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Livni said that only through a 'united effort' to combat terrorism could a ceasefire between the two sides be achieved.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1453931.php/US_Israel_sign_agreement_to_help_truce_in_Gaza__Roundup__

To much hatred there, it will probably not become a pemmanent one for a long time yet. It will be a temp one until they re-arm and re build.

Old Timer wrote:To much hatred there, it will probably not become a pemmanent one for a long time yet. It will be a temp one until they re-arm and re build.

Right, they've tried before and failed. But Israel i s backing off a bit, and I think they are catching the heat worldwide. Like I said before, both sides are not without blame.

What kind of technology would we be sharing I wonder. Itelligence gathering tech or military tech? Are we gonna give em cameras or weapons? (Retorical questions)

Or have I been hanging out in CT forums too much. hehehehe

Is it to simplistic to expect the US to MYOB? Or, could it be it's too late?

never, as long as they think they can get something out of it.