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Last update - 01:55 07/01/2009
Egypt's Gaza truce plan: ceasefire followed by border security talks
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: israel news, gaza, hamas 

Egypt said on Tuesday it was proposing an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza Strip, to be followed by talks on long-term arrangements including an end to the blockade of Gaza.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has offered to hold talks with Israel on border security, and delegations from both sides should meet soon,
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday, he supports the proposal, during a speech before the United Nations.

"President Mubarak invites notably the Israeli side to discuss the issue of border security without delay," Sarkozy told a joint news conference with Mubarak.

Mubarak presented the truce proposal in a brief statement after talks Sarkozy in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday.

The United States and France have been holding intensive talks with Egypt over the possibility of deploying a delegation of engineering experts on the Philadelphi Route, between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in order to stop the smuggling of weapons and militants.

Sources in Jerusalem confirmed Tuesday that Sarkozy proposed the initiative to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during their talks a day earlier.

Sarkozy, who is heavily involved in mediation efforts over a truce between Israel and Gaza, suggested to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday that a force of specialists along the border, operating from the Egyptian side.

The force would ostensibly be formed along with the other aid Egypt is planning to request from the international community. It would operate alongside Egyptian security forces and would not affect Egyptian control of the area.

The purpose of the foce would be to aid and supervise the border region, and to follow up on Egyptian treatment of the contentious area.

France has also proposed to Egypt that a small naval force be deployed to monitor the smuggling of weapons by sea.

Sarkozy said on Tuesday a deal for a cease-fire between Israel and the Gaza Strip was "not far" away.

"I'm convinced that there are solutions. We are not far from that. What is needed is simply for one of the players to start for things to go in the right direction," he told reporters during a visit to French United Nations peacekeepers in south Lebanon.

Earlier Tuesday, Sarkozy had urged Syria to exert pressure on its ally Hamas in order to help end the fighting in the Gaza.

Sarkozy had said on Monday that he was working on an intitiative with Egypt but declined to give details because of "extremely complex negotiations."

Also Tuesday, Egypt stepped up its pressure on the Syria-based Hamas leadership to accept a cease-fire in the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Related articles:
  • French President Sarkozy: Deal on Gaza truce 'not far away'
  • Olmert to Haaretz: The sooner Israel can end its Gaza offensive, the better
  • ANALYSIS / Israel is on its way to reoccupying all of the Gaza Strip
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      1.   Pity they didn`t suggest this SIX MONTHS AGO! 22:44  |  Mark 06/01/09
      2.   Military control 22:48  |  Alex Huzau 06/01/09
      3.   NO ceasefire 22:52  |  A Nice Fellow 06/01/09
      4.   Foundation for a truce 22:52  |  Arie 06/01/09
      5.   Mark 22:52  |  Edifice 06/01/09
      6.   another fiasco on its way more incompetent meddling 22:52  |  v hardman 06/01/09
      7.   Why Mubarak allow Hamas weapons smuggling? 22:52  |  Rick & TC 06/01/09
      8.   First Israel has to do what it has to do 22:52  |  Conroy 06/01/09
      9.   ALL USELESS IF ENTIRE GAZA IS NOT A DEMILITARISED ZONE AS WELL!!! 22:53  |  Alan SA 06/01/09
      10.   Whos in charge,Haniyeh or Abbas.Does Egypt recog Hamas soverenity 22:57  |  Bugsy Segel 06/01/09
      11.   touched 22:58  |  Mr. Marty 06/01/09
      12.   About Time... 23:03  |  Lawyer II 06/01/09
      13.   #1 Mark 23:04  |  Malone 06/01/09
      14.   Why was nothing done to end the blockade of Gaza? 23:05  |  Ben Alofs 06/01/09
      15.   new truce plan 23:06  |  Chris 06/01/09
      16.   Israel being extracated 23:07  |  MK 06/01/09
      17.   EGYPT TURNED BLIND EYE TO MILLIONS OF SMUGGLED ARMS. 23:09  |  Harold Goldrich 06/01/09
      18.   Mark #1, Hamas has been perfecting its tunnel-technique 23:11  |  Esther 06/01/09
      19.   Why not let the Palestinians control their own boarders for once? 23:14  |  Heather 06/01/09
      20.   No cease fire without the return of Shalit! 23:15  |  Giora 06/01/09
      21.   Ceasefire followed by "talks"--what a joke 23:20  |  IW 06/01/09
      22.   Never too late 23:23  |  Worried 06/01/09
      23.   immediate truce & after talks 23:25  |  Chris 06/01/09
      24.   No Truce 23:26  |  Jason 06/01/09
      25.   End blockade? HAMAS wins 23:27  |  Jon 06/01/09
      26.   Cease Fire 23:27  |  Avram 06/01/09
      27.   yes Pity! 23:29  |  John 06/01/09
      28.   Egypt 23:31  |  Iletzter 06/01/09
      29.   Weapons from Egypt sent to Gaza 23:33  |  Avi 06/01/09
      30.   Egypt announces plans 23:33  |  brian 06/01/09
      31.   100% failure of EU "guarantees" in Lebanon disqualifies this idea 23:34  |  Dr. L. Brnd 06/01/09
      32.   Egypt Has Been Both Help and Hinderance 23:36  |  Ron 06/01/09
      33.   Too little, too late. Iran/Hamas NEED war to exist 23:41  |  Arthur 06/01/09
      34.   This is an idiot suggestion 23:43  |  steve from Raleigh 06/01/09
      35.   Egyptian controlling what they refused to control before 23:55  |  David Pitfall 06/01/09
      36.   Start With Hamas, Sarkozy 00:06  |  Jeff Northridge 07/01/09
      37.   Immediate cease-fire of long term duration a necessity... 00:15  |  Smadar 07/01/09
      38.   Destroy The Lifeline, Destroy Peace 00:18  |  Clickfool 07/01/09
      39.   Engineers cannot stop terrorist group 00:25  |  Gili 07/01/09
      40.   Immediate Gaza truce 00:26  |  Ezra 07/01/09
      41.   Ny arrangement should include free elections in Egypt! 00:47  |  Sam 07/01/09
      42.   Tzipi Livni haven´t got heart 01:02  |  Gerardo 07/01/09
      43.   egypt announces plan ........ 01:05  |  ely 07/01/09
      44.   No cease fire 01:05  |  Javier 07/01/09
      45.   Give Us A Reason To Trust Mubarak! 01:17  |  Bill Foonman 07/01/09
      46.   Time to Trade the bazookah for a hookah 01:21  |  Amir 07/01/09
      47.   Decommissioned 01:26  |  Charles Smyth 07/01/09
      48.   Why would Sakozy ask that little pimp in Syria for anything? 01:26  |  Steven 07/01/09
      49.   no truce without shalit 01:26  |  yossi 07/01/09
      50.   So what should Israel do 01:30  |  Daniel 07/01/09
      51.   Israeli ambassador expelled 01:32  |  Larissa 07/01/09
      52.   Lies of politicians 01:36  |  Hazarin 07/01/09
      53.   Truce first broken by Israel 01:42  |  jay 07/01/09
      54.   Three States Option & population transfer 01:51  |  Ari Rusila 07/01/09
      55.   Europe`s blind eye 02:02  |  Paul K 07/01/09
      56.   BACKWARDS! 02:11  |  Jeff 07/01/09
      57.   Mark, I agree with you 02:20  |  Sarah 07/01/09
      58.   02:23  |  David Gleitman 07/01/09
      59.   we can see Hamas is getting somethng but what Israel 03:06  |  zionist forever 07/01/09
      60.   egypt gaza truce plan 03:12  |  mgeraldfried 07/01/09
      61.   Oh Dear, Israel isn`t going to like this bit! 03:38  |  Johnboy 07/01/09
      62.   Agree with #1 - Mark 05:51  |  Greg 07/01/09
      63.   spelling 01:41  |  jim d. 26/04/09
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