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Last update - 22:49 15/02/2008 Hamas tells Egypt it is ready to discuss truce with Israel, Shalit deal By Reuters Tags: Hamas, Egypt, Israel  Hamas said Friday it has told Egyptian officials it would consider a cease-fire with Israel if it lifted its blockade of the Gaza Strip and ceased military operations in the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas also discussed with Egyptian officials this week the possibility of a prisoner deal that could lead to the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, seized by Hamas in a 2006 raid, in exchange for Israel freeing several hundreds of Palestinians from its jails, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said. Sources close to Hamas said Egypt, which brokered a year-long truce between the Islamist group and Israel in 2005, had wanted to explore Hamas' position before holding any possible talks with Israel. Advertisement Leading Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar traveled to Egypt on Thursday to resume talks with the Egyptian government about the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, which Hamas militants smashed open last month seeking relief from the blockade. "Hamas said it has no objection to studying the issue if the Israeli occupation would stop all forms of aggression against our people and lift the siege," Abu Zuhri said, reiterating Hamas' position on a possible cease-fire. Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June after routing the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' secular Fatah forces. Israel, which is pursuing peace talks with Abbas, has since tightened sanctions on Gaza. Palestinian militants blasted open the Rafah border wall with Egypt last month allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to pour into Egyptian north Sinai to stock up on goods in short supply due to the Israeli-led blockade. The holes were closed several days later following Hamas-Egypt talks. Abu Zuhri said Hamas and Egyptian officials discussed the possible reopening of the Rafah crossing, but said some issues had yet to be resolved. Abbas has won some international support for a proposal to handle security at the crossing, but he wields little control in Gaza and Hamas has demanded a key role. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Seeking refuge 123 Sudanese refugees infiltrate Israel from Egypt overnight. Bracing for terror Israel, U.S. fear retaliatory strikes after killing of Mughniyah.   1.   May be they had a sudden vision...and turn to hippies peacelovers 20:57  |  Alain 15/02/08   2.   The same demands. Israel cannot stop operations in West Bank 21:38  |  McQueen 15/02/08   3.   As my old jr. highschool health teacher used to say... 22:00  |  Jacob Blues 15/02/08   4.   Deal only if! 22:23  |  Man deVoshkes 15/02/08   5.   Hamas in trouble 22:27  |  Reid 15/02/08   6.   Hamas & Truce - an oxymoron 22:33  |  The Realist 15/02/08   7.   Another truce??? 22:52  |  Mike 15/02/08   8.   i think that the report that hamas want to talk 23:17  |  bozhidar balkas 15/02/08   9.   pull the other finger 23:19  |  matilda 15/02/08   10.   Reverse Logic 23:28  |  Born In The USA 15/02/08   11.   hamas has 2 choices -abandon terrorism or abandon life 23:39  |  don 15/02/08   12.   taoom stupid 23:53  |  Tina 15/02/08   13.   Talk is cheap with liars, extortionists and kidnappers 00:38  |  Avi 16/02/08   14.   Why should Egypt care? 00:41  |  Avi 16/02/08   15.   Hamas and Fatah both use the same price structure 00:44  |  Avi 16/02/08   16.   No deal! Read the Koran 00:45  |  Gene Schwimmer 16/02/08   17.   To Jacob Blues.. you are right about truces but 00:53  |  Avi 16/02/08   18.   Methinks Israel has the upper hand 01:34  |  The Judge 16/02/08   19.   Israel needs to now crush Hamas they know the Pals are fed up 01:40  |  Dish It Out 16/02/08   20.   Hamas has been offering a truce since the last few years! 01:55  |  lakshmi 16/02/08   21.   Alain of Hod hasharon, Israel @#1 02:14  |  akiva (zionist) 16/02/08   22.   Truce is the better option if we want progress for region 02:29  |  Smadar 16/02/08   23.   Egypt got the message 02:44  |  Mark Lincoln 16/02/08   24.   truce 03:16  |  Jim 16/02/08   25.   #18 lakshmi - Truce my big toe!! 03:26  |  * BEN JABO 16/02/08   26.   #19 Lincoln - The "HORDES" weren`t starving 03:29  |  * BEN JABO 16/02/08   27.   No truce with islamic terrorists. 04:38  |  Voice of Reason 16/02/08   28.   No pre-conditions!!! Just stop rocket-fire!! 04:42  |  Free Gilad Shalit 16/02/08   29.   Ben Jabo - and the inmates of the Warsaw Ghetto 04:43  |  Mark Lincoln 16/02/08   30.   It is most frustrating to see 04:51  |  Mark Lincoln 16/02/08   31.   Hamas wants a face saving gesture 05:05  |  sabra 16/02/08   32.   Puppet Mohamed also offers the truce, but 05:15  |  Cristo 16/02/08   33.   #28 Lincoln - There is no similarity between Gaza & Warsaw 05:35  |  * BEN JABO 16/02/08   34.   we have only just begun dear hamas so no no and no again dear boy 06:42  |  ralph 16/02/08   35.   Dangerous Proposition for Future 08:09  |  The Archives 16/02/08   36.   NO `TRUCE` only: NO MORE WAR 09:13  |  Jeff 16/02/08   37.   Hamas wants a face-saving gesture? # 31 10:18  |  Clickfool 16/02/08   38.   Hammas Truce ( No Brainer ) 11:24  |  Massein 16/02/08   39.   clickfool`s difficult choice between virgins and peace 11:52  |  chris 16/02/08   40.   Is Hamas ready to take a good hard look at their objectives and 16:11  |  WhatLiesBehindThem? 16/02/08

Today Online Report: 50,000 Hezbollah men deploy in southern Lebanon Responses: 205 Israel: We know how to deal with threats by Hezbollah Responses: 114 Palestinians: Ailing woman dies after IDF denies her access to ambulance Responses: 194 Editorial: As with Mughniyah, killing terrorists sometimes unavoidable Responses: 172 Zvi Bar'el: Roiled Hezbollah chief throws down the gauntlet Responses: 113 Roi Ben-Yehuda: If U.K. rejects sharia law, beit din will face same fate Responses: 92 Rosner's Domain Clinton's peace team: the attacks on Rob Malley "vicious" (WTR) Brzezinski in Israel (WTR) Most blatant example of Israeli interference in American election The U.S. and Mughniyah / Not just 'who' but also 'where' Poll: Was killing Mughniyah both justified and wise? More Headlines 15:33 Report: PM to declare soldiers abducted by Hezbollah dead 15:51 Report: 50,000 Hezbollah men deploy along border with Israel 10:11 Top Islamic Jihad militant, seven others killed in Gaza blast 14:42 Hamas airs confessions of Fatah members in plot to kill Haniyeh 15:09 Lebanese PM: 'Open war' on Israel would harm Hezbollah 00:59 Sarkozy defends Holocaust education proposal amid uproar 11:41 Eritrean refugee killed trying to enter Israel illegally from Egypt 07:12 Islamic Movement blames Israel for quake-induced hole on Temple Mt. 07:26 U.S. meets Iranian officials to discuss 'terror' funds 19:57 Israeli wounded in Molotov cocktail attack in West Bank 01:54 Hezbollah chief's threats raise alarm among Jewish groups worldwide 20:08 Italian officials: Canada extraditing wanted Nazi war criminal Previous Editions Select Day 15 feb 14 feb 13 feb 12 feb 11 feb 10 feb 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb 03 feb

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