At The Huffington Post today there is an article by Daniel Sobelman reporting on possible direct negotiations between Israel and Hamas on establishing a long-term ceasefire and opening the Gaza Strip to free movement including a sea corridor.
The agreement currently being hammered out would include, among other things, the opening of all commercial crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip, a move long supported by Israel's military establishment, which has been quietly pushing for a significant relaxation of the siege and openly views Hamas as the only realistic alternative in Gaza.
Hamas, whose ideology is centered on armed resistance to Israel, has for some time now been preparing its supporters for the possibility of a long-term truce with "the Israeli occupation." Last summer's hostilities had been well underway when a prominent Hamas columnist called for a ten-year truce in exchange for a seaport, "according to an agreed work plan." A written agreement to that effect, he argued in the Hamas-run daily Filastin, would benefit both parties and "pave the way to a mutual agreement on all the other issues."
Let us all hope these talks are successful in establishing longstanding peace for the region and its citizens.