Hamas continues its ignorance.

How would this scenario play in Gaza if Israel and the PA had reversed roles?

Let's say Massad conducted a daring raid by tunneling into Gaza. Let's say they made it back to Israel with a Hamas "militant." If the PA responded with mass homicide bombings, and the Israelis offered them a truce, would the Hamas-led government accept it?

I doubt it.

Unfortunately for the Palestinians, Hamas doesn't get it yet

THE JOURNAL NEWS, courtesy of the AP, has the latest:

The Hamas-led Palestinian government called for a cease-fire Saturday in its violent two-week standoff with Israel, but Israel rejected the offer because it did not call for releasing a soldier held by Hamas militants.

Officials in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said he would not agree to a truce until Hamas freed Cpl. Gilad Shalit, whose capture two weeks ago provoked Israel to invade the Gaza Strip and bombard it with artillery barrages and airstrikes.

Earlier, an Israeli Cabinet minister said Israel hopes the fighting, which has killed more than 40 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier, eventually will lead to a broader cease-fire deal.

In fighting Saturday, Israeli troops exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen, and army bulldozers searched for militants' tunnels near Gaza City. In northern Gaza, tanks pulled out of Beit Lahiya, leaving a wide swath of destruction after trying to carve out a buffer zone against rockets there. Two Hamas gunmen and a Palestinian wounded in earlier fighting died.

Israel's two-week military campaign in Gaza - its broadest since ending its 38-year occupation last year - has put the Hamas government under growing pressure. Israel also has arrested dozens of Palestinian Cabinet ministers and Hamas lawmakers.

The five-point truce proposal that Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas issued Saturday called on Israel to halt its offensive and release prisoners, but said little about what Hamas is prepared to do in return.

"If we want to get out of the current crisis, it is necessary to return to calm, on the basis of a mutual halt to all military operations," said a statement issued by Cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad in Haniyeh's name.

Hamas also urged Israel to open negotiations over the fate of Shalit, 19.

However, Hamas often sends out conflicting signals, partly because of divisions between a more militant leadership in Syria and more pragmatic politicians in Gaza. Israel has largely held the Hamas political chief, Syrian-based Khaled Mashaal, responsible for the soldier's kidnapping.

What Hutzbah! Hamas invades Israel, kidnaps an Israeli soldier and then has the guliones to not only ask Israel for a truce, but to negotiate the soldier's release.

Are they truly shocked that Israel has said no?

How about this: Hamas returns the kidnapped soldier to the IDF immediately. Since Israel currently assaults Gaza in order to clear border areas of terrorists and facilitate the soldier's recovery, they should have no reason to continue hostilities once he's returned.

Unfortunately for the Palestinian people, this does nothing to promote the Hamas mouth-foamers' agenda of driving Israel into the sea. Therefore, continue to watch Hamas whine while Palestinians--70% of whom supported Hamas in their last election--suffer.

A tragic waste.