Dershowitz of course fails to mention that Israel has never ended it's occupation of Gaza, and itself broke internation law when it broke the cease fire (contrary to conventional wisdom that Hamas broke the cease fire).
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Mitchell declined to comment on the IRA statement, seen by Unionists as a thinly veiled threat to break the cease-fire.
"I think the Israelis are trying to break the cease-fire, and they take the easiest targets," said Radi Garari, a deputy minister of the Palestinian Authority who was Mr. Marshoud's boss.
"As the deadline has expired, we direct all the commanders with the mujahedeen in the field to break the cease-fire and go ahead with all target-oriented missions," Mr. Salahuddin said today.
The mixed messages raised the question of whether Hamas might be trying to provoke the Israelis to break the cease-fire, or perhaps to establish new facts on the ground — farmers tilling the borderland, fishermen fishing farther out — that would increase its leverage in negotiations.
In a worst-case scenario, the warring parties will break the cease-fire early on, once they begin withdrawing their heavy weapons.
Each side blamed the other for breaking the cease-fire as fighting flared in the Hasaba district, where many government ministries are located.
No one was immediately available from Sudan's government to comment on whether the attacks broke the cease-fire or other agreements.
Ms. Rice, in a statement issued Saturday, said that she "holds Hamas responsible for breaking the cease-fire and for the renewal of violence in Gaza".
In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued a statement that said: "The United States strongly condemns the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and holds Hamas responsible for breaking the cease-fire and for the renewal of violence in Gaza.
Palestinian officials, accusing Israeli forces of breaking the cease-fire with incursions into Palestinian territory and what they referred to as assassination strikes, today warmly welcomed President Bush's statements that steps are being taken to control the violence.
