Mirage In The Israeli Desert

I wouldn't call it a good sign that the Israel-Hamas truce is scheduled to begin on Thursday, and Hamas is busily firing its last rockets into Israel right up until the 6 am start time. These aren't exactly the signals of a lasting peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the truce would be fragile, while Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters that the group wouldn't drop its "resistance."

If this improves living conditions in Gaza (through Israel's concession of lifting the blockade that has turned the Strip into a prison) and stops rocket attacks in Sderot and beyond for a period of time, so be it. But it just doesn't look like something you can build on.