Of course it has. If it weren't so tragic there'd be humor in this game between rightwingers in each country. This game is why incremental peace plans have almost no chance of working. Until many people in each nation are given a palpable sense of change that they're loath to lose, they'll throw their support behind revenge factions.

Or: Both Hamas (and a variety of other militant orgs) and Likkud (and other parties) trade in fear and revenge -- much like the right wing in any nation. Peace treaties threaten their power and encourage violence as a means to retaining power and support. If the populations haven't been given any reason to withdraw their support (like a better standard of living, the withdrawal of troops and onerous and humiliating checkpoints, etc), they're unlikely to oppose revenge, a powerful currency for those who lose hope.

If Israel and Palestine want peace, Israel will have to give up the territories. Just leave. There will be bombings and attacks the very next day. There will be violence for some time, perhaps. But, as the justifications for those bombings is removed in the eyes of the world and as the Palestinian street begins to fear the loss of their newfound opportunity, they'll be the ones to take care of the violence.

Remove the demand and you'll end the supply.

Evan Derkacz is an AlterNet editor. He writes and edits PEEK, the blog of blogs.

With the calmness prevails in the strip, Palestinian security sources said on Tuesday Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza Strip would be open for two days to allow entry of thousand of people stuck on both sides of the Palestinian-Egyptian terminal.

The crossing has been sealed off before travelers except for occasional openings since June 25 when militant groups captured an Israeli soldier in a cross-border raid and dragged him into Gaza, sparking large-scale Israeli offensive.

On Sunday, following months of Israeli military operations, Israel and the Palestinians agreed on a ceasefire under it Israel withdrew forces from Gaza in exchange for stopping home-made rocket attacks against Israel.

Though the ceasefire has gone into effect, more than one Palestinian faction has threatened Gaza ceasefire would collapse if it was not extended to the West Bank.

Israeli troops arrested at least 10 Palestinians in West Bank cities on Tuesday morning, claiming they were wanted by the state of Israel.

Commenting on the situation, Hamas spokesman in Gaza Ismail Radwan said that "any Israeli breach of the partial ceasefire could endanger it."

But Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz has earlier said there was no ceasefire in the West Bank.

In the wake of the Qassam rocket attacks launched from northern Gaza Strip Monday afternoon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has altered its rules of engagement along the Israel-Gaza border, allowing troops to fire at rocket launchers.

Two rockets, the first being fired in over 24 hours, landed in open area in the western Negev Monday afternoon, causing no injuries. A group identifying itself as the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, claimed responsibility.

When the cease-fire first went into effect on Sunday, the Israeli forces were strictly forbidden from firing back. But as it became evident that the rocket fire was continuing, albeit on a smaller scale, the IDF changed the rules in order to prevent Israeli civilians from being harmed.

Peretz told the cabinet on Monday that security forces remain on alert. "The terror organizations need to understand that we're not in a time-out," said Peretz. "We are still prepared for various reaction situation on their part."

Peretz said he has instructed the IDF to establish liaison teams to assist PNA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in deploying forces at Qassam-launching sites in an effort to prevent rocket fire.

Israel and the Palestinian factions in Gaza officially began the cease-fire at 6 a.m. Sunday, following an agreement reached between Abbas and the Palestinian factions. Abbas called Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Saturday to inform him of the deal.

Under the Israeli terms, killings, provocations of any kind, arrests, raids and incursions do not constitute a breach. Is this a move to further separate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, or to quickly confiscate more of the West Bank while all eyes are on whether the Palestinian armed resistance in Gaza will respond?

A 60-year-old Bethlehem man, Ahmed Zayed, has asked about a specific time frame for the 'ceasefire,' and whether it is composed of coded items and documentation that Palestinians are not privy to. "We certainly have never been able to take the governments of Israel on their words. Experience with the occupation has time and again taught us this bitter lesson."

Zayed continued to speak with PNN on Monday. "The Israelis must be accountable to international parties present for all discussions on all subjects. It is not permissible that Israel may interpret the situation by taking what it wants and rejecting what is does not want. This has, unfortunately and without exaggeration, always been the Israeli way and it must finally end. The most glaring evidence of this is that Israeli military leaders talk of a truce that does not include the West Bank while the Israelis continue to commit arrests and assassinations, in addition to land confiscation, settlement expansion, and continual Wall building. Every point in those acts violates international law. The West Bank is a glaring example of Israel holding itself above the law while the international community is complicit by not standing up to Israel and its omni-present protector."

Hundreds of people from Bethlehem's Deheisha Refugee Camp walked in a funeral procession, while side-talk was dominated by the irony of a 'ceasefire' that only includes one sector of Palestine divided from all others. Sentiment was strong that there was no reason to once again agree to something that clearly serves the Israelis at the expense of the Palestinians.

Young Imad Abed Rabbo was among the mourners who told PNN, "Israel will seek to violate the agreement as evidenced by what happened in Bethlehem and Beit Sahour this morning when large forces entered and surrounded the houses, arrested people and fired indiscriminately. And this is in addition to the attacks in Jenin; the house to house searches, the arrests, and the usual indiscriminate fire. If you weren't already, it makes you question the intentions of Israel."

Abdul Karim Hammash, also from Deheisha Refugee Camp is a 50-year-old father. His son was sentenced to life in Israeli prison, accused of involvement with the armed resistance wing of Fateh, Al Aqsa Brigades. Armed resistance to occupation is entirely legitimate under international law, further making the term 'ceasefire' less than accurate as there are not two sides at war.

The father said that he hopes the 'ceasefire' is honored and successful. "What is involved here is a chance to get the prisoners out of the jails and have national security controls. That will mean a national unity government and a return of salaries. Unfortunately we are in the position to prove ourselves, instead of the other way around. For that we must be unified in our commitment in order to oblige the Israelis to abide, if and only if, all eyes of the international community are on them."

The International Court of Justice in the Hague did rule that the Wall in the West Bank was illegal, but Israel was not moved and Wall building continued unimpeded save for the Palestinian nonviolent resistance. Of the hundreds of United Nations resolutions and condemnations against Israel, just one in 1982 was honored. The Palestinian calls for international assistance, troops, witnesses, have gone unheeded for years.

University student Noha Abdel Hamid said, "The truce is by popular demand and in effect for a year. It must be preserved by us by abstaining from any violations, provided Israel does not exploit our willingness, which is no truce at all."

Among those arrested were Mohamed Zaiud, 45, and his brothers Yasser, 42, Adnan, 40, Mustafa, 38, and Khalid, 25.

Moreover, in Qabatia town, south of Jenin city, troops attacked the house of Nasser Saba'nah in an attmpt to take him prisoner. Troops surrounded the house and searched it but Saba'nah escaped. Army sources said that he is on what they call the Wanted List.

In Azion village, east of Jenin, Israeli forces leveled two homes and injured two residents on Tuesday morning. Troops and an army bulldozer invaded the village, leveled the houses of Majed Abu Hassan and Ahmad Abu Hassan, claiming that the two houses were built without permits. Soldiers fired sound bombs at the crowds of residents and injured two, medical sources reported.

Also on Tuesday at dawn, more than 15 Israeli army jeeps entered the city of Tulkarem, north of the West Bank, searched and ransacked a number of homes and also attacked and searched a car repair workshop. Soldiers took the owner of the workshop, Jihad Samara, 44, prisoner along with Wa'el Mihdawi, 24, who works in the shop, and Sami Sudok, the night guard of the workshop.

In the southern West Bank, in Al Arob refugee camp near Hebron city, the army took prisoner Isma'el Al Badawi, 17, and injured Mohamed Abu Daiah, 18. Troops opened fire and fired sound bombs during clashed with local school boys at the camp entrance leading to the injury of Abu Daiah after being hit by a sound bomb in the head, medical sources reported. Troops also managed to take Al Badawi prisoner during the clashes. Eyewitnesses said that the local boys started throwing stones at the army after the soldiers fired live rounds and sound bombs at them while going to school.

In the Bethlehem district, south of the West Bank, soldiers invaded the villages of Al Doha, Al Khader, Obadiyah, Taqua and the city of Bethlehem itself and took 6 prisoners on Tuesday morning. Hazim Salah, 28, was taken from Al Khader Village after troops searched his house; he was released from jail only two months ago after serving four years in Israeli administrative detention centers. While in the city of Bethlehem the army attacked residents' homes in Wadi Shaheen neighborhood in the city center, then took Munib Al Khateb to an unknown location.

Moreover, another force entered Obadiyah village to the east of Bethlehem and took Rami Hassasnah, 28, to an unknown location after ransacking his family house.

In the early dawn hours an Israeli jeep convoy stormed the village of Taqua south east of Bethlehem and took Ali Jibril, 31, and Rabi' Jibril, 21, to unknown locations after searching a number of houses in the village, their families reported.