Hamas movement and Gaza militant groups, mainly Islamic Jihad (Holy War) and the pro-Hamas Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) accepted an Egyptian-brokered mutual calm deal with Israel following four fighting days that claimed the lives of 25 Gazans.

Dawoo Shihab, Islamic Jihad spokesman said in a press statement that the Egyptian efforts had succeeded in reaching a mutual Tahde 'aa (calm) that commits the enemy (Israel) to stopping assassinations, adding that the deal has become valid on early predawn Tuesday.

"It was agreed that Israel stops aggressions and crimes against resistance, also it is the resistance powers' rights to respond to the crimes of assassination. I believe that this is a great achievement to our people and our resistance and a victory to the blood of the martyrs," Shihab said.

However, observers and political analysts hold that the reached calm was not an agreement, but an understanding reached between Hamas and Israel via Egypt to keep the interests of the Islamic movement that rules the Gaza Strip as well as the various militant groups.

HAMAS INTEREST

Talal Oukal, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua that Hamas movement "is the one which is more interested in reaching a truce with Israel, because it knows in advance that if it gets involved in a war with Israel, it would loose its power in the Gaza Strip."

Oukal slammed the understanding reached on ceasing fire between the two sides, saying "It isn't true that Israel was committed to the terms of Gaza armed groups, because Israel says it commits itself to stopping targeted killing, but in case militants plan for attacks, it will get back to the targeted killing."

Hamas has been ruling Gaza, after it violently seized control of it in June 2007. However, after its tough experience it had when Israel waged a large-scale war on Gaza in late 2008, Hamas, which strengthened its presence in the Gaza Strip, does not want to pay another high price and loose its control.

In previous waves of fighting in the Gaza Strip between Israel and militant groups, Hamas movement was leading the attacks on Israel. However, this time Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip was wiser and more cautious -- not to be involved in another war and decided to keep watching what will happen.

Oukal also slammed Israel, saying that "Israel is the one, which all the times violates the calm." He added that the militant groups, mainly the Islamic Jihad and the PRC, which lost its general command Zuhair al-Qaisi, "had accepted the calm because it is a national interest for the Palestinians."

ISRAEL NEEDS NO EXCUSES

As long as there are various militant groups, who proved over the past five days of fighting that they are so powerful, Israel knows in advance that reaching an understanding for calmness in the Gaza Strip is temporary and this time Israel, which needs no excuses, was testing the power of those groups.

Sami Abdallah, another West Bank-based political analyst, told Xinhua that in the previous waves of fighting Israel was the strongest, adding "but this time Israel was very much confused because the militants responses weren't expected, therefore it accepted to stop assassinations against militants."

"We all noticed this time that Israel was the one which had the initiative to reach calmness and as soon as militants, who conditioned to stop the targeted killing, accepted it. The Israeli political establishment was under the pressure of the army officials, that a truce must be reached," said Abdallah.

However, in Gaza, people believe that this truce will not be permanent, and Israel, one day when it feels it has the power, would find an excuse and say there are radical militants are planning large attacks against Israel, and would then assassinate another senior militant and violence would break out again.

GAZA MILITANTS ARE WINNERS

Although 25 Palestinians, most of them Islamic Jihad and PRC militants, have been killed, the groups expressed a feeling that they won the battle with Israel this time and succeeded in obliging Israel to beg for a truce, according to other military experts.

"Israel doesn't need excuses to carry out a large attack on Gaza or assassinate more leaders, but this time the power of Gaza militants and the number of accurate Grad rockets fired at Israel, obliged Israel to accept their demands of stopping the targeted killing," said a Palestinian retired military general.

Despite the Israeli officials' denial that an agreement was reached and insistence that it was just an understanding, "it is still the weakest deal Israel had ever reached with Palestinian militants in the history of the ongoing conflicts, and now Israel would be more cautious in the future of assassinating militants," the general said, on condition of anonymity.

ISRAEL PLAYS GAMES

Hani Habib, a Gaza-based analyst and critique, told Xinhua that the recent escalation was Israel's decision and reaching an understanding to cease-fire was also Israel's decision, adding that "Israel is the power in the region that controls the rules of the game."

"I believe that Israel had aimed at checking the power of the armed resistance groups in the Gaza Strip more than two years of the end of Gaza war in 2009," Habib said, adding "Israel wanted to see if Gaza militants brought weapons from Libya and Iran and how affective these imported rockets are."

Since the end of the war on Gaza Strip, better known the "Cast Lead" operation, Israel had claimed that various militant groups managed to develop their military abilities by smuggling hundreds of rockets from Libya and Iran, mainly after the changes in various Arab world countries.

"I believe that this truce deal won't be the last one, and when Israel wants to test the situation in Gaza and make political achievements on the expense of the Palestinians, it won't hesitate to strike on Gaza again, where more victims and more suffering will be in the poor Gaza Strip," said Habib.