CAIRO: Head of the Diplomatic-Security Bureau of the IDF Amos Gilad returned to Cairo Friday a day after his preceding visit reportedly to seek further clarifications on an attempt to reach a ceasefire with Hamas.
Gilad had briefed Israeli officials on the results of talks between Egypt and Hamas on a ceasefire and it was decided that he would return to Egypt right after to convey Israeli thoughts on the negotiations.
It was decided that the Israeli diplomatic-security cabinet will vote on whether to accept the ceasefire when Gilad returned from his latest visit, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
Haaretz had also obtained a copy of the Egyptian proposed truce, and stated that it contained three clauses. First, that an interim ceasefire will be agreed immediately in which crossings will be opened to allow humanitarian aid to Gaza. During this period, Egypt will work on a more permanent ceasefire between the two sides.
Secondly, the final truce will include provisos on lifting the siege on Gaza as well as beefing border security between Egypt and Gaza to eradicate the smuggling tunnels, and finally, that Hamas will resume reconciliation talks with Palestinian rival Fatah.
Hamas on Friday said it would return to Cairo for a fresh round of talks on a Gaza truce, Hamas’ Mohamed Nassr told Al-Jazeera television.
The Egyptians told us today that they ve received the Israeli response to our proposals and asked us to return to Cairo for new talks, Nassr said on the satellite station.
While diplomatic efforts ensued, Israel continued to shell various areas of Gaza, including the border with Egypt in dawn raids early Friday. Forty targets were shelled in the offensive, including a mosque. The death toll since the offensive on the Gaza strip began Dec. 27 has surpassed 1,100.
In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 20-year-old Palestinian during a protest against the offensive in Gaza.
There are caveats from both sides on the truce. Hamas wants the agreement to stipulate that Israeli withdraws from Gaza immediately, which is currently not included in the proposal, and Israel does not want to lift the blockade on Gaza until it has securities that the arms smuggling will stop.
Israel on Thursday had bombed the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza as well as assassinating senior Hamas official Saeed Seyam, who was killed in a targeted bombing of his house along with his son.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni traveled to the United States to sign a memorandum of understanding over the prohibition of the smuggling of arms into Gaza.
Gilad had come to Cairo Thursday to listen to results of talks between Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman and Hamas officials and present what was described as the “end game scenario for the Israeli offensive on Gaza. – Additional reporting by AFP
