Hamas still looms over Mid-East peace

By Martin Patience
BBC News, Jerusalem

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in the region to try to rescue the latest US-sponsored peace initiative between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The US is still confident peace negotiations can be resumed

Following a recent Israeli incursion into Gaza, which killed more than 120 Palestinians, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas froze negotiations with Israel.

At a press conference before Ms Rice's departure on Wednesday she tried to put the best gloss possible on her two-day visit.

"I've been informed by the two parties and they intend to resume the negotiations and that they are in contact with one another as to how to bring them about," she said.

But are the negotiations going to resume? And if so, when?

For now, anyway, there appear to be no clear answers.

Palestinian outcry

The Israeli government's position is clear - it wants an immediate resumption of negotiations.

But Israeli officials say that attacks on Gaza will continue until the rocket fire from the territory stops. Palestinian militants say they are firing the rockets because of continued Israeli military aggression and occupation.

Even if an agreement can be reached, how can it be done without Hamas and its supporters? Gazans discuss Israeli raids An asymmetric fight

Caught in the middle is Mr Abbas - and he is dragging his feet.

Before Ms Rice's news conference, he said that the negotiations could resume but only "after reaching calm".

But what that means is wide open to interpretation - and Mr Abbas probably intended it that way.

What is clear, however, is that the Palestinian Authority president is finding it increasingly difficult to sit down and talk with the Israelis.

There was a huge outcry from Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza over Israel's latest incursion into Gaza.

While Mr Abbas has turned his back on Hamas - the hardline Islamic movement that controls Gaza - the Palestinian president is not immune to what happens in the coastal territory.

Unlike Mr Abbas's Fatah movement, Hamas rejects this latest peace initiative, which started last November.

Although Hamas is not at the negotiating table, the movement's presence is certainly being felt.

Stalling for time

While the US, Israel and other European countries would like to separate the West Bank from Gaza politically, many ordinary Palestinians are firmly opposed to this notion.

And as we are seeing, what happens in Gaza does not stay in Gaza - it has all sorts of political repercussions.

Mr Abbas is caught between the Israelis and Palestinian militants

A US envoy is expected in Cairo and will ask the Egyptians to persuade Hamas to stop the rocket fire from Gaza.

For now, Mr Abbas seems to be stalling for time in order for Palestinian anger to subside.

The Palestinian president stated clearly this week that his government's strategic choice was negotiations.

US President George W Bush also said that he was optimistic that the two sides could reach an agreement by the end of his term.

But what this week has demonstrated is how difficult it can be to get the two sides to talk, never mind reach an agreement.

And even if an agreement can be reached, how can it be done without Hamas and its supporters?

Nobody seems to want to talk about that issue at the moment.