Quote: "If Israel agrees to persuade the international community not to boycott the new Palestinian unity government, the Palestinians "will offer a promise from Hamas and Fatah of a total cease-fire with Israel, including a complete halt to Qassam [rocket] fire and suicide bombings," a senior Hamas official told Haaretz on Tuesday. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas plans to deliver this offer at his upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian sources said. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, thought according to the Palestinians, the date has not yet been finalized.

Earlier last month I predicted that Hamas may formally announce an end to their attacks, and that this would satisfy the watered-down demands of the international community. The boycott would then be lifted, even though Hamas will still not formally recognize Israel's right to exist. It seems that events are proceeding along these lines. Hamas desperately wants international aid to finance their terror war against Israel. Talks are also continuing on the Saudi initiative, which offers wide Arab recognition of Israel in return for the territories taken during the Six Day War being handed back. 

I don't think Prime Minister Olmert will agree to urging the Quartet (EU, US, UN, Russia) to end its boycott just yet though. I think the situation needs to get more desperate before Olmert and the international community are prepared to water down their preconditions for Hamas. But once it happens, and once Hamas announces its hudna (truce), perhaps then we will enter the period of calm which is prophesied should come before the invasion of Gog and his Islamic allies.

Ezekiel 38:11-12
And thou shalt say,1 I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest (shaqat), that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places [that are now] inhabited, and upon the people [that are] gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. 

Strong's Concordance:

Source Haaretz