VOA标准英语2008年-Israel-Hamas Ceasefire to Begin on Thursday

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
18 June 2008

A ceasefire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip is due to begin at 6:00 a.m. local time Thursday. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.
　

Israeli soldier gestures to direct a tank moving on top of military vehicle, on Israel Gaza border, 18 Jun 2008

After months of fighting, Israel and the Islamic militant¹ group Hamas have decided² to give an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire in Gaza a chance.

When the truce³ begins early Thursday, Hamas will halt rocket and mortar⁴ attacks and Israel will end military action in Gaza. Then Israel will begin gradually lifting its crippling blockade on Gaza. On Sunday, Israel will open border crossings and allow in trucks packed with food and supplies.

"Israel has decided to accept the Egyptian proposals and it is our sincere hope that from tomorrow, our civilian⁵ population in the south will no longer be the victim of these barrages⁶ of rockets and mortar shells from terrorists in the Gaza Strip, and we will have a new period of peace and quiet," Israeli spokesman Mark Regev said.

In Gaza, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said all Palestinian factions⁷ have agreed to abide⁸ by the truce.

Haniyeh said the ceasefire would help the Palestinian people who have suffered from the Israeli blockade.

In the second phase of the truce, Israel hopes to win the release of a soldier captured by Hamas militants⁹ in a cross-border raid two years ago. The sticking point is what Hamas wants in return: freedom for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those responsible for deadly suicide bombings.

Hamas refuses to renounce¹⁰ violence or recognize the Jewish state, so Israel fears the group will use the truce to re-arm for the next round of conflict. But as Israeli Cabinet Benjamin Ben Eliezer put it.

"I would talk to the devil to bring peace and quiet," he said, and to win the release of the captive soldier.

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 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 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。

4 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 barrages   

n.弹幕射击( barrage的名词复数 )；火力网；猛烈炮火；河上的堰坝v.火力攻击（或阻击）( barrage的第三人称单数 )；以密集火力攻击（或阻击）

参考例句：

• In many Basidiomycetes barrages develop. 在许多担子菌中也发生一些栅栏。 来自辞典例句
• It's fun to be able to run around and do instant Barrages. 一边瞬发奥术弹幕一边四处跑确实很有趣。 来自互联网

7 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

8 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

9 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。

10 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。