Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., April 29, 2008 Nisan 24, 5768 | | Israel Time: 06:33 (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

Last update - 17:20 28/04/2008 Palestinian militant groups head to Cairo for Gaza truce talks By Reuters Tags: Egypt, Israel  EL-ARISH, Egypt - Leaders from three Palestinian militant groups headed to Cairo on Monday for talks with Egyptian intelligence officials on a possible Gaza Strip truce with Israel, Egyptian security sources said. They said senior members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) crossed from Gaza into Egypt via the normally sealed Rafah border crossing. The leaders then headed to Cairo via three buses in a security convoy, the sources said. Advertisement Hamas proposed a six-month truce between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, with an option to extend it to include the West Bank. It would also include an end to the Israeli blockade of the Hamas-run coastal strip. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar said at the time that other Palestinian factions including Islamic Jihad and leftist groups based in Damascus had preliminarily approved the offer, which Israel has dismissed. Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, Cairo's main contact with Hamas and Israel, had agreed to call Palestinian factions to Egypt to discuss the offer and ensure Palestinian consensus. Egyptian security sources said each of the factions would meet with security officials separately on Tuesday and Wednesday, but a general meeting with all the groups together had not yet been set. The sources said the talks would also focus on possibly re-opening the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which militants blasted open in January in a move that allowed hundreds of thousands of Gazans to stream into Egypt to stock up on supplies for 10 days before the border was resealed. Israel dismissed the Hamas truce proposal on Friday, saying the Palestinian Islamists wanted to prepare for more fighting rather than peace. But Hamas said on Saturday it was waiting for an official Israeli response, and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said he would wait until Egyptian mediators met with Israeli officials to relay the ceasefire proposal before deciding how to react. The Hamas offer, issued following talks with Egyptian mediators, departed from previous demands by the group that any ceasefire apply simultaneously to Gaza and the West Bank - both territories where Palestinians want statehood. Related articles: Meshal: Hamas ready for truce, but only as 'tactic' Israel: Gaza truce depends on Hamas control over Jihad PA official: Olmert won't commit to Cairo proposal for Gaza truce 7,000 Hamas supporters rally at Gaza north, south borders Bookmark to del.icio.us   Obscene gestures Alleged 'Heil Hitler' comment lands German lawyer Horst Mahler in court AMOS-3 video Israel's sophisticated new communications satellite launched into orbit.   1.   pointless 17:27  |  frenz 28/04/08   2.   Missed opportunity to bomb the Cairo bus convoy 20:36  |  jewish doctor 28/04/08   3.   Will these "militants" visit the Sphinx..? 23:28  |  Stephen. 28/04/08   4.   jewish doctor, true, but... 02:49  |  Akiva P 29/04/08

Read & React Burston: Our Defense Forces, our war crimes, our terrorism Responses: 195 Israel: UNIFIL hiding info about Hezbollah from Security Council Responses: 202 Barak: Hamas is to blame for deaths in the Gaza Strip Responses: 561 Settlers to move into East Jerusalem police HQ compound Responses: 82 Rosner's Domain Rosner's Guest, Ziad Asali: Abbas left Washington less than satisfied Aipac case appeal: June 2nd (WTR) McCain, a foreign-policy schizophrenic (WTR) Poll: Will the new spy case harm U.S.-Israel ties? More Headlines 02:52 Israel, Hamas trade blame over civilian deaths in Beit Hanun 03:02 ANALYSIS / Hurry up and shoot before the cease-fire 04:55 Think tank proposes bill to define IDF-cabinet relations 05:07 Israel braces for criticism of Gaza policies from donor nations 01:20 Russian-Jewish billionaire to build UK's priciest mansion 23:49 Iranian official warns against Barbie, Harry Potter toys 03:13 Damascus think tank chief handles Syrian talks on Israel 05:16 'A hero who did not seek acts of heroism' 05:24 Breakaway Pensioners agree to represent Gaydamak in Knesset 22:26 Lebanese army: 12 IAF jets fly over Beirut, Lebanese areas 22:17 Four wheels and an electronic brain: Meet IDF's newest soldier 02:25 CIA Chief: Syrian reactor had capacity to make 2 weapons a year Previous Editions Select Day 28 apr 27 apr 25 apr 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr

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