Hamas Hints Acceptance of Egyptian Cease-fire Plan
By VOA News
15 January 2009
Hamas says it does not reject the broad outlines of an Egyptian-brokered truce plan for Gaza, but has stopped short of accepting the plan.
The Hamas position was put forward Wednesday by an official of the group, Salah al-Bardawil, who spoke after talks in Cairo. He said Hamas had given Egyptian mediators its views, and would now wait for Israel's response.
Egyptian officials say their plan involves both a temporary and long-term truce, an opening of Gaza's border crossings and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory. It would also call for the dispatch of international monitors to Gaza.
Israel has demanded an end to Palestinian rocket fire and weapons smuggling from Gaza.
Israeli sources say their representative, Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad, will go to the Egyptian capital Thursday to meet with Egyptian mediators on the plan.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Wednesday that agreement on a truce plan was very close.
On Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon renewed his call for an immediate cease-fire.
The United Nations chief was in Egypt and Jordan as part of his regional trip regarding the Gaza conflict.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia called for an emergency summit of Gulf countries on Thursday to discuss the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
And members of the 22-nation Arab League remained split on when to hold their own summit on the conflict.
Nations more sympathetic to Hamas, such as Syria, Lebanon and Sudan, have backed Qatar's call for a meeting on Friday. But Egypt and Saudi Arabia have called for discussions to be held during the league's regularly-scheduled meeting next week.
Separately, Bolivian President Evo Morales says his country is breaking diplomatic ties with Israel because of the Gaza offensive.
Mr. Morales is a close ally of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Mr. Chavez earlier expelled Israel's ambassador from Venezuela in protest over Gaza.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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