Hamas sets an ultimatum for next week

Senior Egyptian sources told the Al-Rai Al-Aam newspaper on Thursday that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are pessimistic about the indirect negotiations with Israel and are accusing the Jewish state of procrastinating when it comes to implementing the understandings on the lifting of the “siege” on the Gaza Strip and promoting reconstruction of the Strip from the fighting in May of last year.

In an interview with the newspaper, these sources said that the Egyptians had separate talks with the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in which they discussed the “deteriorating situation” in the Gaza Strip.

According to the report, the Palestinian Arab terrorist organizations have agreed to issue an ultimatum to Israel of next Thursday, January 13, by which it must take practical steps to ease the siege and remove all obstacles to reconstruction operations.

Senior members of these organizations made it clear to the Egyptian mediator that their patience with Israeli policy in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip and in prisons was running out, and if Israel continues its policies of “provocation” and “procrastination”, then on January 13 “all possibilities would be open.”

This “angry message” was conveyed to Israel by the Egyptian mediator who is working to prevent another round of military confrontation, the report said.