February 09
EGYPT is hopeful that a Gaza truce accord between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas can be reached in coming days, foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said.
"There are positive signs that in the next few days we will reach an understanding on a truce and a partial reopening of crossing points (into Gaza)," Zaki said.
Egypt has been mediating indirect talks for a lasting truce since the end of Israel's massive 22-day onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which killed at least 1,330 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
The fighting ended when both Israel and Hamas, the enclave's rulers, called separate ceasefires on January 18.
However, the fragile calm has been tested by Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel and retaliatory air strikes.
On Saturday, a spokesman for Hamas said it expects agreement with Israel on the reopening of border crossings into the Gaza Strip "within the next few days."
Israeli and Palestinian officials have been shuttling to Cairo for talks with Egypt's intelligence chief and Middle East mediator Omar Suleiman, hoping for a truce deal with just two days until Israel's election.
A Hamas delegation from Gaza led by firebrand Mahmud Zahar travelled to Syria on Sunday for consultations on the truce negotiations with Damascus-based members of the group's powerful politburo, Hamas official Mohammed Nasr told AFP.
After Damascus, Zahar headed on Sunday evening to Qatar, a Gulf state which supports Hamas, according to the Qatar News Agency (QNA).
The agency gave no indication of Zahar's programme nor how long he would stay in Qatar.
Mohammad Nazzal, a senior Hamas official based in Damascus, told the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television station that there are still "obstacles'' in the truce talks.
He said Egypt is linking the opening of its Rafah border crossing to Gaza with Palestinian reconciliation.
Egypt has refused to permanently open the crossing in the absence of EU monitors and representatives of Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas.
Israel is insisting on an open ended truce and is only willing to allow 80 percent of goods into Gaza, Nazzal said, noting that Israel has not said how it would define the 80 percent.
"If these problems are solved we would be prepared to accept an agreement within two days or three days,'' he told Al-Jazeera.
The delegation is due to return to the Egyptian capital on Monday, the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman said.
Israel, which controls all border crossings except Rafah, has kept the densely populated strip closed to all but essential supplies since June 2007 when Hamas violently seized power, ousting forces loyal to Abbas.
Egypt closed Rafah on Thursday, after opening it to aid and to Palestinians who were wounded during the war.
Besides opening Gaza's borders, Egypt's truce plan also calls for Hamas and Abbas's Fatah to reconcile and form a government that would be acceptable to the international community.
EGYPT is hopeful that a Gaza truce accord between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas can be reached in coming days, foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said.
"There are positive signs that in the next few days we will reach an understanding on a truce and a partial reopening of crossing points (into Gaza)," Zaki said.
Egypt has been mediating indirect talks for a lasting truce since the end of Israel's massive 22-day onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which killed at least 1,330 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
The fighting ended when both Israel and Hamas, the enclave's rulers, called separate ceasefires on January 18.
However, the fragile calm has been tested by Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel and retaliatory air strikes.
On Saturday, a spokesman for Hamas said it expects agreement with Israel on the reopening of border crossings into the Gaza Strip "within the next few days."
Israeli and Palestinian officials have been shuttling to Cairo for talks with Egypt's intelligence chief and Middle East mediator Omar Suleiman, hoping for a truce deal with just two days until Israel's election.
A Hamas delegation from Gaza led by firebrand Mahmud Zahar travelled to Syria on Sunday for consultations on the truce negotiations with Damascus-based members of the group's powerful politburo, Hamas official Mohammed Nasr told AFP.
After Damascus, Zahar headed on Sunday evening to Qatar, a Gulf state which supports Hamas, according to the Qatar News Agency (QNA).
The agency gave no indication of Zahar's programme nor how long he would stay in Qatar.
Mohammad Nazzal, a senior Hamas official based in Damascus, told the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television station that there are still "obstacles'' in the truce talks.
He said Egypt is linking the opening of its Rafah border crossing to Gaza with Palestinian reconciliation.
Egypt has refused to permanently open the crossing in the absence of EU monitors and representatives of Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas.
Israel is insisting on an open ended truce and is only willing to allow 80 percent of goods into Gaza, Nazzal said, noting that Israel has not said how it would define the 80 percent.
"If these problems are solved we would be prepared to accept an agreement within two days or three days,'' he told Al-Jazeera.
The delegation is due to return to the Egyptian capital on Monday, the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman said.
Israel, which controls all border crossings except Rafah, has kept the densely populated strip closed to all but essential supplies since June 2007 when Hamas violently seized power, ousting forces loyal to Abbas.
Egypt closed Rafah on Thursday, after opening it to aid and to Palestinians who were wounded during the war.
Besides opening Gaza's borders, Egypt's truce plan also calls for Hamas and Abbas's Fatah to reconcile and form a government that would be acceptable to the international community.
Source: The Australian
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