OPTIMISM WAS growing yesterday that a ceasefire to end the war in Gaza was close after Hamas representatives accepted in principle modified Egyptian proposals to end the fighting.
Israel’s position should become clearer after defence ministry official Amos Gilad travels to Egypt for further talks today.
After talks yesterday, both Hamas officials and Egyptian representatives sounded optimistic, although Hamas leaders stressed that not all details were finalised.
Hamas official Ghazi Hammad expressed confidence a deal was at hand. “I think this kind of agreement can be done now, and I think now there is good progress in Egypt,” Mr Hammad said.
Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said: “We will keep it under a lid of secrecy until we reach an agreement that is followed by several interrelated steps to reach a ceasefire, ensure Israeli withdrawal, open the crossing and secure the return of the monitors.”
The Egyptian initiative calls for a 10-day truce, during which negotiators will try to finalise a mechanism to prevent arms smuggling into the strip across the Egyptian border. Hamas demands a role on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Israel insists the Palestinian Authority and EU monitors control the Palestinian terminal. Only when an agreement is reached on the monitoring mechanism will Israeli troops pull back from Gaza, allowing the border crossing to open.
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon will hold talks with Israeli leaders today to press for an immediate end to the fighting.
Speaking after talks in Cairo yesterday with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, the UN chief said, “It is intolerable that civilians bear the brunt of this conflict.” He added the “negotiations need to be intensified to provide arrangements and guarantees in order to sustain an endurable ceasefire and calm.” Palestinian sources reported the death toll passed 1,000 on the 19th day of fighting. Some 13 Israelis have been killed.
Israeli aerial assaults continued, accompanied by shelling from navy vessels off the Gaza coast and artillery fire. Fighting on the ground again centred on neighbourhoods around Gaza city, home to some 400,000 residents.
One air strike hit a cemetery, spreading body parts over a wide area. Seven Israeli soldiers were wounded when militants fired an anti-tank missile at paratroopers in the north of the Gaza Strip.
Three Kaytusha rockets, fired from southern Lebanon, landed close to the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. Residents feared Hizbullah was opening a second front, in a repeat of an incident last week, when rockets landed in the western Galilee. Hizbullah again denied responsibility.