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Last update - 18:34 09/05/2009
Hamas: Egypt expected to resume Gaza ceasefire efforts next week
By DPA
Tags: Hamas, ceasefire, Israel news 

A senior official in the Palestinian organization Hamas said Saturday that he expects Egypt to resume mediation of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and various Palestinian groups.

"Egypt may discuss the lull's issue with the Israeli side on May 11," said Mahmoud Zahar, a member of the Hamas politburo based in the Gaza Strip.

He added that Hamas had "presented its conditions and there will be a lull if these conditions were met." He would not reveal the conditions. Zahar added that "the situation will be as it is" if Israel rejected Hamas' demands.
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Hamas wants a ceasefire agreement to include the opening of commercial crossing points into Gaza without tight restrictions.

Zahar made the remarks one day after Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, denied reports that a ceasefire was scheduled to take effect May 8.

Zahar noted that Hamas and Israel were near agreement on an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire after the end of Israel's military offensive in Gaza in January, but that the former Israeli government rejected it "at the last moment and demanded it be linked with the case of the captive soldier."

Hamas, which has held Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit hostage since 2006, says the soldier could only be released under a prisoner exchange deal, separate from the ceasefire talks.

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