Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has been working with Egypt to stop
the fighting between Israel and the neighboring Gaza Strip in consultations that have not included the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Diplomatic sources said Egypt and the United States were consulting to
persuade the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip to agree to a ceasefire. They
said Egypt was pressing the administration of President Barack Obama to
offer diplomatic incentives to Hamas, including the establishment of a
political dialogue.

“Egypt and Hamas have agreed that the current effort should mark the start of an official dialogue with Washington,” a diplomatic source said.

The sources said the Egyptian-U.S. efforts have upset Israel. They said the Israeli government, particularly Netanyahu, did
not request any U.S. intervention, and regarded the current mini-war as an opportunity to destroy Hamas and other Palestinian arsenals.

“There was no consultation by President [Barack] Obama with Israel, and this is quite disturbing to Netanyahu,” the source said.

The diplomatic sources said Obama and his aides were blaming Netanyahu for igniting tension in the Middle East. They said senior officials were telling leaders of the House and Senate that Israel was trying to drag Washington into war in the Middle East, particularly with Iran, in 2012.

“There is very bad blood between Obama and Netanyahu, and what each say
in public is completely different to what is taking place behind closed
doors,” another diplomat said.

The U.S. refusal to consult with Israel came less than a week after the
Obama administration asserted that U.S. support for Israel was
unprecedented. At one point, the sources said, Obama offered to export
advanced bunker-busters and refueling aircraft to Israel if it agreed to
delay plans to attack Iran.

On March 10, the State Department expressed concern over the mini-war
between Israel and the Hamas regime.

“We are deeply concerned by the renewal of violence in southern Israel,”
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “We condemn in the
strongest terms the rocket fire from Gaza by terrorists into southern Israel
in recent days, which has dramatically and dangerously escalated in the past
day. We call on those responsible to take immediate action to stop these
cowardly acts. We regret the loss of life and injuries, and we call on both
sides to make every effort to restore calm.”

For its part, Hamas has confirmed Egypt’s role in arranging a ceasefire.
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh urged Palestinian militias to cooperate
with the Egyptian effort. “Our brothers in Egypt are working around the clock to stop the
aggression on the Gaza Strip,” Haniyeh said on March 11.

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