Traditionally, a sign of weakness

From Xinhua.net (of all places), a possible break in the Gaza crisis:

Hamas has offered a one-year truce with Israel through indirect talks, sponsored by Egypt between the Islamic movement and Israel, a Hamas official said Monday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that his movement accepts a one-year truce "with guarantees that Israel shows commitment to lift the siege and completely reopen crossings." Talks are held in Cairo between Hamas official and senior Egyptian security officials on one hand, and between Israeli security officials and Egypt's intelligence chief Omer Suleiman on the other. "The delegation in Cairo is authorized to only discuss the issues of the truce and reopening the border crossings," said the official, adding "other issues like the internal reconciliation would be discussed too."
Secretary of Israeli Defense Ministry Amos Gilad, who met with Egypt's Suleiman recently, said that Israel wants a longer term truce with Hamas. Media reports said Hamas is willing to accept an eighteen-month truce with Israel, while the Jewish country, which is seeking a ten-year truce with Gaza militants, is studying the proposal, and would bring back an answer soon.
Meanwhile, Hamas negotiator Ayman Taha told al-Arabiya, based in Dubai, that Hamas' talks with the Egyptians "focused on reaching a new truce with Israel with better guarantees."
"Israel hinted it might accept an eighteen-month truce with Hamas for reopening Gaza crossings and partially lift the blockade and not completely, but Hamas rejects it," said Taha, insisting that "the siege should be completely lifted". Egypt has brokered a six-month truce that ended on 19 December, just one week before Israel carried out a 22-day military offensive on the Gaza Strip. Hamas refused to renew the truce because Israel kept the blockade on Gaza.
In a related story, Islamic Hamas movement's leaders Sunday rejected to reach a long-term ceasefire agreement with Israel, saying a ceasefire with a limited period of time is acceptable. Senior Hamas leader Ismail Radwan told reporters in Gaza that the Hamas delegation heading to Cairo is "not to agree on a long-term ceasefire, but to discuss the reinforcing of the truce between Israel and the Gaza factions. The talks in Cairo aim at reaching a limited ceasefire that doesn't exceed one year, then we can re-discuss it before it ends," Radwan said, adding that "reopening the crossings and rebuilding Gaza will be issues to be discussed. We won't accept a long term truce that kills the armed resistance, because resistance is a legal right for the Palestinian people as long as there is an occupation," he added.
The Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo Friday for talks with senior Egyptian officials to discuss a renewal of the truce with Israel. Other Palestine Liberation Organization factions also arrived in Cairo on Sunday. "We won't accept less than reopening all the border crossing points between Gaza and Israel and also Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Simply we won't accept a truce that doesn't end the Israeli aggression," said Radwan. Although Israel announced that its 22-day military offensive on Gaza has achieved its goals, Hamas said that Israel failed to break the Palestinian armed resistance.

Rico says the old Bill Shakespeare line about "a plague on both your houses" keeps running through his head...