VOA常速英语2007年-Israeli PM Says No Cease-Fire Talks With Hamas

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
23 December 2007

Israel has rejected a ceasefire offer from the Islamic militant¹ group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. At the same time, Israeli settlement construction is casting a shadow over new peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Israel has no intention of halting anti-terror operations in Gaza, despite a truce² offer from Hamas.

Mr. Olmert told the Cabinet that "what is happening in Gaza is a real war between the Israeli army and terrorist groups." And he said, "The war will continue."

Hamas offered a truce last week, after Israeli air strikes took heavy casualties among Palestinian militants³.

Mr. Olmert said Israel has no interest in holding negotiations⁴ with elements that refuse to accept the basic principles of the international community. He was referring to Hamas, which has rejected demands by the world powers to renounce⁵ violence and recognize Israel.

Hamas also appears to be divided between the military wing and the more pragmatic political wing of the movement, which offered the truce. Nizar Rayan, who has close ties to the military wing, said a ceasefire is unacceptable.

Rayan told Hamas Television that there would not be a truce until all of Palestine is liberated⁶ from the Jews.

Hamas seized control of Gaza six months ago, routing the forces of western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He now heads a more moderate government in the West Bank, which resumed peace talks with Israel this month after a seven-year break.

But negotiations hit a glitch⁷ Sunday when Israel announced plans to build more than 700 new apartments in disputed East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The Palestinians accused Israel of sabotaging⁸ the talks, saying settlement construction violates the internationally-backed "Roadmap" peace plan. Israel says it reserves the right to build in neighborhoods that will remain under Israeli control in any future peace agreement.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

6 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

7 glitch   

n.干扰；误操作，小故障

参考例句：

• There is a glitch in the computer program somewhere.这个计算机程序中的某个部分有点小问题。
• It could just be a random glitch that can be solved by restarting the machine.可能只是一个小故障，重新启动主机就能解决了。

8 sabotaging   

阴谋破坏（某事物）( sabotage的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr Smith fiercely denied any question of sabotaging the talks. 史密斯先生坚决拒绝任何企图阻挠谈话的提问。
• Failed in sabotaging APEC summit in Sydney of Australia. 澳大利亚悉尼APEC会议遭遇惨败。