Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., March 08, 2008 Adar2 2, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:53 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Hamas, Jihad meet Cairo officials to discuss truce, opening Rafah crossing By Avi Issacharoff, Barak Ravid and Jack Khoury Hamas and Islamic Jihad representatives met with Egyptian intelligence officials in the Egyptian city of El-Arish yesterday to discuss the possibility of opening the Rafah border crossing and of reaching a truce with Israel. After the meeting, Ayman Taha, Hamas' spokesman in Gaza, said that Hamas was open to a tahadiyeh - a temporary cease-fire - on condition that it be bilateral. Advertisement In addition to an end to Israeli military operations, Taha said, Israel must also lift the blockade on Gaza. Khader Habib, who headed the Islamic Jihad delegation at the meeting, said that Israel must also agree to a comprehensive cease-fire in the West Bank that includes an end to arrests of suspected militants. Israel opposes such restrictions. The Hamas delegation was headed by Mahmoud Al-Zahar. Taha said that Hamas is open to having members of the presidential guard of the Palestinian Authority stationed at the Rafah border crossing, on condition Hamas be allowed to vet the list of personnel. Taha added that the organization would also agree to the redeployment of European observers at the border as long as they lived in the Strip or in Egypt and not in Israel. IDF officers meet PA counterparts Senior IDF officers met with their counterparts in the Palestinian preventative forces in the West Bank yesterday to discuss ways to maintain calm in the territories following Friday prayers at the mosques. Amos Gilad, who heads the Defense Ministry's military-foreign affairs bureau, is to meet in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and Defense Minister Mohammed Hussein on Sunday to discuss arms smuggling from Egypt to Gaza via the Philadephi Route as well as new border crossing arrangements at Rafah. Bookmark to del.icio.us   From Pyongyan with Love N. Korea's leader expresses hope for stronger ties with Syria Peres in Paris Pres. tells <i>Le Figaro</i> Israel won't act alone to halt Iran nuke program.

Today Online Bradley Burston: To the Westerner who 'understands' terrorist Responses: 544 A. Issacharoff: Gazans see yeshiva attack as unusual achievement Responses: 255 U.S.: Peace talks must go on despite Jerusalem massacre Responses: 308 Yossi Sarid: Yasser Arafat is dead, but his curse lives on Responses: 74 More Headlines 21:55 Police nab 8 in connection to Jerusalem terror attack 00:08 Olmert vows deterrence will be achieved against terror groups 00:14 'His face would glow with joy,' say friends of yeshiva attack victim 19:26 ADL denounces 'shocking' UN inaction on J'lem terror attack 17:51 Cairo official: Gaza Strip conflict serves Syrian interests 18:00 Report: Peres says Israel will not act alone to halt Iran nuke program 17:52 Israel marks Int'l Women's Day with music, drama and art 11:12 Putin - Not so much pro-Jewish as free from anti-Semitism 01:01 Egyptian police shoot Sudanese man trying to enter Israel illegally 20:13 Germany's Jews opposed to proposal for medal for bravery 13:02 North Korea's leader expresses hope for stronger friendship with Syria 07:25 IDF arrests three Palestinians who threw bombs at settlement Previous Editions Select Day 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb

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