An Israeli tank moves near Atatra in the northern Gaza Strip January 15, 2009. Israeli forces thrust deep into central Gaza on Thursday, killing a senior Hamas leader, in what may be a final push against the Islamist group before agreeing to a ceasefire in the 20-day-old war. REUTERS/Sebastian Scheiner/Pool (GAZA)From Seattle PI:
CAIRO, Egypt -- Signs of sharp division are appearing within the top ranks of Hamas as fighting with Israel in Gaza intensifies and cease-fire talks brokered by Egypt reach a critical point.
The differences have sharpened over the past two days and could have a significant impact on the outcome of the truce negotiations.
Gaza-based Hamas officials have sounded more willing in recent days to consider a deal for a temporary cease-fire, being pushed by Egypt, even though the proposal would leave Israeli troops on the ground in Gaza temporarily and keep the territory's borders sealed in the short term. But Hamas political officials, close to the group's leadership-in-exile in Syria, have characterized a cease-fire as still far away.
One key Hamas official from inside Gaza, Ghazi Hamad, told the BBC Wednesday he was optimistic the cease-fire being worked on in Egypt could be reached.
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