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Palestinian security force officers, left, stand on one side of a fence as Gazans waiting to cross into Egypt for medical treatment gather at the Rafah border crossing. (AP)
Last update - 08:02 01/06/2008
Barak and Olmert delay cabinet vote on Gaza Strip cease-fire
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Gaza, Israel, Hamas, Truce

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Saturday canceled a political-security cabinet meeting slated for Sunday, in which a vote was to be held on whether or not to agree to a cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Olmert and Barak decided that due to the "vagueness" of Hamas' position in regard to the ceasefire, a cabinet vote on whether to accept it would be premature.

The cabinet meeting will be postponed until the following Sunday.
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A senior state official on Friday stated that the demands Hamas stipulated for the ceasefire were very difficult, in light of the fact that the Organization would not be required to stop smuggling weapons in the Gaza Strip.

Senior Hamas officials have said that the Palestinian militant group would accept Israel's gradual opening of Gaza's border crossings as part of a truce deal, Israel Radio reported on Saturday.

This move would constitute a retreat by Hamas from its previous position, whereby it demanded the immediate opening of the crossings as condition for the Egyptian-brokered truce taking effect.

The officials stated that the Rafah Gaza-Sinai crossing would be included in this new offer, according to which the border terminals would be opened in accordance with a timetable to be set by both sides.

Hamas officials said that this new position illustrates their group's flexibility in efforts to reach a cease-fire with Israel. They said Hamas is waiting to hear Jerusalem's response to the new offer from Egyptian mediators.

On Monday, Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan accused Israel of putting obstacles in front of Egyptian efforts to achieve the ceasefire by refusing to open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

"The Rafah border must be opened as part of the calm," Radwan said, repeating Hamas' demand that Egypt open the crossing if Israel doesn't.



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      1.   Hamas to accept gradual opening of Gaza crossings 18:43  |  Dementia Praecox 31/05/08
      2.   Hamas is desperate 19:19  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 31/05/08
      3.   ...and what about Shalit? .No Shalit,no deal 19:26  |  Alan SA 31/05/08
      4.   Once Israel siege ends a new siege will start 19:46  |  Genuine Tosefta 31/05/08
      5.   Israel should uproot Hamas once and for all. 20:43  |  Jean Van Daem 31/05/08
      6.   no shalit NO TRUCE..No opening 20:59  |  real vision 31/05/08
      7.   #1 Not sure I`d like to play that game 21:38  |  Outsider 31/05/08
      8.   big brave dementia banging her war drums from afar 22:04  |  Labhras 31/05/08
      9.   Hamas is losing the war and will be forced to release Shalit 22:07  |  Realist 31/05/08
      10.   News flash: Second weapons cache in Sinai 22:09  |  KUTW 31/05/08
      11.   REALITY 00:33  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/06/08
      12.   Hamas opening 00:33  |  Edithann 01/06/08
      13.   Israel has noright todictate to the Palestinians &block their way 01:43  |  Dutch 01/06/08
      14.   Why is Israel even considering.... 02:24  |  Malone 01/06/08
      15.   Israel would rather shoot at unarmed crowds of civilians 02:33  |  POP 01/06/08
      16.   Iran is watching 02:36  |  Wendy 01/06/08
      17.   Terrible news. If there is a cease fire then no one can be killed 03:43  |  American in NY 01/06/08
      18.   #11 Wendy--what are you smoking 03:59  |  Labhras 01/06/08
      19.   Barak, Olmert delay cabinet vote on Gaza Strip ceasefire 04:24  |  mike G 01/06/08
      20.   NO OPENING OF CROSSINGS 04:38  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 01/06/08
      21.   So Malone...What`s your plan? 06:58  |  Reader 01/06/08
      22.   Hamas Seems to be Able to Strike a Deal with Egypt 07:03  |  Reader 01/06/08
      23.   Egypt Doesn`t Want to See the Gazans... 07:09  |  Reader 01/06/08
      24.   Israel appears weak and indecisive 08:14  |  Natallie Durson 01/06/08
      25.   Uh, the "vagueness" will still be there next week 08:19  |  Raymond in DC 01/06/08
      26.   No to a ceasefire : Hamas must be crushed. 08:22  |  Jean Van Daem 01/06/08
      27.   "Barak and Olmert delay cabinet vote..." 09:39  |  Esther 01/06/08
      28.   "Delay" is better than "reject"....... 10:02  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/06/08
      29.   #12 labarse of arabia gets the nod straight from teheran 10:36  |  victor hardman 01/06/08
      30.   NO NEGOTIATIONS WITH DEAD MEN 11:28  |  Baruch Gold 01/06/08
      31.   arab in ny and schwarzkpof deception 11:47  |  elazar 01/06/08
      32.   arab in ny and iraq in 1973 11:52  |  elazar 01/06/08
      33.   arab in ny and the iran iraq war 11:55  |  elazar 01/06/08
      34.   tosefta refers to arab in ny as "any" 12:17  |  elazar 01/06/08
      35.   #19 Natalie Durson re ceasefire 12:26  |  Labhras 01/06/08
      36.   #Victor Hardman aka paul harris from TA 12:36  |  Labhras 01/06/08
      37.   what are we to make of the centuries papal enemity 13:17  |  papalbull 01/06/08
      38.   why does the pope hate blacks 13:20  |  papalbull 01/06/08
      39.   ireland is finished 13:35  |  papalbull 01/06/08
      40.   The Rogue States list of demands--before truce 14:18  |  Labhras 01/06/08
      41.   A Truce.? You mean more sophisticated weapons. 15:13  |  Stephen. 01/06/08
      42.   Israel should stop toying with Hamas 15:13  |  Margaret Connell 01/06/08
      43.   Don`t let em seperate Shalit from any deals 15:42  |  Confused Citizen 01/06/08
      44.   And close their water supply for the summer 15:43  |  Analyst 01/06/08
      45.   labarse of arabia the rogue irishman via boston 15:48  |  victor hardman 01/06/08
      46.   hamas 16:04  |  azad 01/06/08
      47.   No Reason to Accept Hamas Terms 16:34  |  Jane 01/06/08
      48.   #43 victorpaul harrisman from TA 17:01  |  Labhras 01/06/08
      49.   Considerations for a cease fire 17:18  |  Tosefta 01/06/08
      50.   #48 labarse of arabia should keep out of talkback 17:24  |  victor hardman 01/06/08
      51.   truce or no truce 19:22  |  khairi janbek 01/06/08
      52.   #13 Deluded Dutch 21:06  |  DesMnsDave 01/06/08
      53.   olmert & barak 21:52  |  azad 01/06/08
      54.   #49 Indeed 23:15  |  Outsider 01/06/08
      55.   #35 dithering and the result 00:25  |  DesMnsDave 02/06/08
      56.   Labhras - Hamas strong, what a joke 10:22  |  Reid 02/06/08
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