CAIRO: On Sunday at 2 am, the Israeli military declared a unilateral ceasefire, bringing a halt to military operations in Gaza after 22 days of fierce assaults.
Hours later, Hamas reportedly continued to fire rockets into southern Israel in defiance.
Daily News Egypt spoke to people on the streets of Cairo about their thoughts on Israel’s unilateral ceasefire, which left some Egyptians puzzled about what they hope to gain and others with mixed views about Israel’s intentions.
Some said the ceasefire is just another public relations stunt to make Israel seem pacifist.
“I think it’s global pressure, said Alexandra Abdelnour, an executive at a local textile company. “It’s just about image.
George Habash is an economics student at the American University in Cairo and president of Better World, an NGO with a representative office at the university. He said that Israel’s decision to halt the military campaign in Gaza was a result of diplomatic efforts, adding that the main reason is “that Israel is losing a lot of diplomatic relations within the region.
“I think it was diplomatic pressure from Egypt, said Habash.
He also highlighted economic reasons for the ceasefire, saying that this campaign was starting to become too costly. “They were also losing a lot of money.
On the other hand, Dr Ayman Hegazy, a pharmacist, rejected the notion that Israel was acquiescing to international pressure. He did, however, agree to the idea that Israel may be transforming its military offensive into a PR campaign.
“Israel can do anything it wants, said Dr Hegazy fervently as he stood behind the counter. “It could be because they want to say that they have already achieved their military objectives.
The ceasefire will also make Hamas look more aggressive, he added, as the group continues firing rockets into southern Israel. “They also did it so they can say Hamas is firing rockets while we [the Israelis] stopped our [Israeli] offensive.
Other people interviewed by Daily News Egypt had not heard of the ceasefire and were unsure about Israel’s intentions, which left them puzzled as to why Israel would suddenly halt military operations in Gaza.
A cashier in an Islamic bookstore, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he is not usually an active participant in political debates, but strongly sympathized with the Palestinian people. On the ceasefire, he said, “Maybe they did it to make the Arab countries calm down.
Ibrahim, who works in a small supermarket in Mohandiseen, also seemed perplexed at the sudden ceasefire. “I read about the situation in Gaza everyday, he said, taking out a copy of an Arabic daily newspaper. “Until now, I can’t think of a reason of why they would do this.
Ramadan, a driver, said: “Our political opinion really does not count. We can say whatever we want but nothing will really happen.
However, Hany, a messenger for a courier company who was standing nearby, said he thinks Israel is declaring a ceasefire because a new administration is about to enter Washington, as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to be sworn in Tuesday.
“Obama will put a stop to Bush’s pro-Israeli foreign policy, Hany said.
