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Olmert, Barak delay cabinet vote on Gaza Strip ceasefire
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Hamas, Ehud Barak 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Saturday canceled a security-diplomacy cabinet meeting slated for Sunday, in which a vote was to be held on whether or not to agree to a ceasefire 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.

It is also uncertain whether or not Hamas is ready to give up on the demand for the opening of border crossings in exchange for a ceasefire. Israel Radio reported on Saturday that Hamas officials said they would accept Israel's gradual opening of the crossings as part of a truce deal

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.

Hamas has so far rejected Israel's demand that significant progress be achieved in the talks on the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit as part of the truce negotiations.

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