In Gaza and Israel, a Wary Quiet

As First Day of Cease-Fire Passes, Hamas Faces Questions About Intentions

GAZA CITY, June 19 -- An anxious calm settled over the Gaza Strip and the surrounding area of southern Israel on Thursday, as the first day of a cease-fire between the Jewish state and the armed Islamist group Hamas passed without violence.

But neither side was sure how long the planned six-month truce would last, and Hamas faced a new challenge in having to explain why, after two decades of battling the Israeli occupation, the group is suddenly ready to lay down its arms, however temporarily.

Hamas leaders on Thursday were quick to claim a victory, trumpeting Israeli concessions to Palestinians and to the broader Arab world as a vindication of the movement's long-standing use of violence.

But at the same time, Hamas was attempting to use the moment to gain legitimacy in the West, projecting itself as a reasonable voice in Palestinian politics that is willing to compromise under the right conditions.

"We are a very pragmatic organization. The problem is that the Europeans, and the Americans especially, don't understand us. Hamas is not al-Qaeda," said Ahmed Yousef, a Hamas foreign affairs adviser. "Some in Israel are starting to realize that Hamas is the reality, and they need to deal with Hamas."

Hamas has also clearly decided it needs to deal with Israel.

The group was founded in the mid-1980s as an armed Islamist movement dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Unlike the rival Fatah party, it has never been willing to recognize the Jewish state or participate in peace talks. But it contested the 2006 legislative elections, a byproduct of the peace process, and won in a landslide.

After forcing its rivals out of Gaza at gunpoint a year ago, Hamas assumed authority over the strip's 1.5 million residents and allowed fighters -- including members of its own military wing -- to use the territory to conduct daily rocket strikes against Israelis.

The group has lost some of its appeal in recent months, however, as Gazans have grown weary of a crushing economic embargo and frequent Israeli attacks. With jobs disappearing and the Palestinian death toll climbing, Hamas was under pressure to bring some relief.

"Overall, the mood was turning against Hamas," said Mkhaimar Abusada, a political scientist at Gaza's Al-Azhar University. "Hamas knew that its own situation would be more stable if it could get a cease-fire. Hamas needs some calm to show the Palestinians, and the rest of the Muslim world, that political Islam in Gaza is working."

The result, Abusada said, is a familiar tale.

"As a ruling party, Hamas has been totally different from when it was in the opposition, which is what happens with all political groups around the world," he said. "It has had to moderate its views on how to deal with Israel."