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Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip (Archives / AP)
Last update - 21:55 17/06/2008
Barak: It is too early to declare calm in Gaza
By Yuval Azoulay, Jack Khoury and Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondents and The Associated Press
Tags: Hamas, tahadiyeh, Israel 

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday cautioned that it was too early to announce that an Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and Gaza militant groups had been achieved.

"This evening, the possibility of reaching a calm is being examined. It is still early to declare it, and it is difficult to determine how long it will last," Barak said, speaking during a conference at Beit Yehoshua.

The defense minister added that "the test will be in its implementation, but nevertheless Nevertheless, it is important to make all possible efforts to take advantage of the possibility of calm and to promote the return of peace to Gaza area communities like Ashkelon and Sderot, and to make all possible efforts to take advantage of the chance to renew negotiations over the release of Gilad Shalit."
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Barak's comments came after Egypt's state-owned news agency confirmed earlier in the day that the Islamic group Hamas and Israel have agreed on a truce which is to begin on Thursday.

The MENA agency cited an unnamed high-level Egyptian official as saying that both sides have agreed on the first phase of an agreement to end the violence in the coastal strip and in Israel's South.

The announcement came just hours before six Islamic Jihad militants were killed in a series of Israel Air Force attacks in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to the Egyptian news agency, the first phase of the truce is a mutual and simultaneous calm in the Gaza Strip starting at 6 a.m. Thursday.

"Egypt hopes that the two sides will exert all efforts to bring the calm to a success," the agency quoted the official as saying.

Israeli officials declined to confirm a deal, but said Israel's negotiator Amos Gilad had rushed to Cairo and that they were cautiously optimistic. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev also would not confirm or deny a deal.

Earlier Thursday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Egypt would soon declare the deal unless unexpected events were to occur. "We are close to declaring an agreement on the calm, barring unforeseen developments," he said.

Another Hamas official said the two-phase deal could start as soon as
Thursday and would begin with a three-day cessation of hostilities.

The official said following the trial three days, Israel would open a border crossing with Gaza to let in raw materials banned under a months-old Israeli blockade.

He added that the second phase would focus on Hamas' returning Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted by militants from the group two years ago in a cross-border raid. In exchange, Israel would reopen Gaza's main gateway, the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized.

An Israeli official confirmed that the flow of humanitarian aids would resume if Hamas adhered to its end of the truce deal.

"If Hamas keeps the cease-fire, we can gradually deliver more goods and supplies," an Israeli official said, but added that any commitment to a particular level of supplies into Gaza would be kept "vague on purpose."

The Israeli official said Rafah could reopen only if there was "significant progress" toward Shalit's release. Israel controls access to the border terminal by European monitors who oversee its operation

"No shooting won't be enough to reopen Rafah. Progress on Gilad Shalit is required," he said.

As of Monday, Israel and Egypt had yet to finalize two issues: Defining the connection between the tahadiyeh and a deal for the release of Shalit and determining the degree of Egypt's commitment to countering arms smuggling from Sinai into Gaza.

Related articles:
  • Hamas: Gaza truce deal with Israel is in sight
  • Report: Israel won't condition Gaza cease-fire on Gilad Shalit's release
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      1.   Who would trust the Israelis not to renege on this deal at once? 14:03  |  Clickfool 17/06/08
      2.   SURE THING MAN...........BUT 14:03  |  Robert 17/06/08
      3.   Bad Idea 14:14  |  Steve 17/06/08
      4.   Stupid, Stupid, Stupid Israeli negotiators! 14:28  |  Mark Anthony 17/06/08
      5.   Stupid, Stupid, Stupid Israeli negotiators! 14:28  |  Mark Anthony 17/06/08
      6.   truce 14:38  |  joseph theeboom 17/06/08
      7.   If Egypt does not keep arms from getting into Gaza what good will 14:42  |  J 17/06/08
      8.   It will start and end on Thursday 14:44  |  Sal 17/06/08
      9.   Stamp them out 14:47  |  Brod 17/06/08
      10.   eventual peace??? hopefully. 14:51  |  joseph theeboom 17/06/08
      11.   Welcome home Gilad. The world celebrates your return! 15:08  |  And the cease fire! 17/06/08
      12.   Mark Anthony is right:anyone who negotiates with israel is dumb 15:14  |  noor 17/06/08
      13.   Sal #8 I give it until Saturday but Egypt 15:17  |  Free Gilad Shalit 17/06/08
      14.   Why trust Hamas? 15:34  |  Dov Barzilai 17/06/08
      15.   The Gaza truce..other implications. 15:40  |  Stephen. 17/06/08
      16.   I`m sure Israel will slaughter some Arabs in Gaza b4 the Truce 16:03  |  POP 17/06/08
      17.   Poppycock #16 I`m sure Jihadis will launch rockets & mortars b4 t 16:36  |  Free Gilad Shalit 17/06/08
      18.   Noor 16:39  |  Nora 17/06/08
      19.   Olmert`s folly & prelude to war? 16:47  |  common sense 17/06/08
      20.   What a relief! 16:59  |  utagawa 17/06/08
      21.   Tahdie or no tahdie 17:26  |  fk`em 17/06/08
      22.   Agreement is much too vague 17:30  |  Guido 17/06/08
      23.   #22 Rafah Crossing 17:43  |  DesMnsDave 17/06/08
      24.   FGS: Looks like the Jude-o-Fascist IDF has killed first 17:51  |  POP 17/06/08
      25.   DesMnsDave 18:21  |  Guido 17/06/08
      26.   It Takes Two to Tango 18:23  |  DoubleClick 17/06/08
      27.   GOOD TO IGNORE WASHINGTON 18:40  |  Arik Silverman 17/06/08
      28.   BRAVO! 18:45  |  O-Dog 17/06/08
      29.   Poppycock #24 19:00  |  Free Gilad Shalit 17/06/08
      30.   After every possible delay? 19:02  |  Mark Lincoln 17/06/08
      31.   Doublclick 26 19:13  |  Free Gilad Shalit 17/06/08
      32.   Mark Lincoln #30 19:17  |  Free Gilad Shalit 17/06/08
      33.   Doomed To Failure - Probably in Days 19:24  |  Simon 17/06/08
      34.   #30, Mark Lincoln 19:29  |  Fritz 17/06/08
      35.   FGS: Thanks for spewing Racism. You use the same points as HAMAS 19:36  |  POP 17/06/08
      36.   Re Clickfool #1 `Who would trust Israel...` 20:09  |  Colin Wright 17/06/08
      37.   Mark Lincoln and his mysterious cease fire 20:11  |  Jacob Blues 17/06/08
      38.   Clickfool you can trust Hamas and even have dinner with them! 20:13  |  Avi 17/06/08
      39.   HAMAS never upheld the truce Fritz 20:15  |  Jacob Blues 17/06/08
      40.   Oh Prince of Palestine, why are you so shocked at the language 20:16  |  Jacob Blues 17/06/08
      41.   For Colin Wright # 36 20:38  |  Clickfool 17/06/08
      42.   Hazzah Mark Lincoln is back on the Band Wagon 20:57  |  Ramius 17/06/08
      43.   Neither side has ever kept a truce 20:57  |  Dave Duncan 17/06/08
      44.   Barak: It is too early - That`s because the IDF is killing people 21:01  |  POP 17/06/08
      45.   #31 - Free Gilad Shalit 21:01  |  DoubleClick 17/06/08
      46.   Progress is always Clickfool`s worst nightmare 21:05  |  BC 17/06/08
      47.   Clickfool switches to German 21:11  |  Ramius 17/06/08
      48.   "We are close to declaring an agreement on the `calm`..." 21:19  |  bat yam 17/06/08
      49.   #30, Mark Lincoln, meaning of cease fire 21:20  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/06/08
      50.   Barak and Hamas 21:22  |  Ralph 17/06/08
      51.   #11-What are you talking about? 21:24  |  Arie 17/06/08
      52.   Hamas is going to have to exert control 21:31  |  Tzfonit 17/06/08
      53.   Muslims do not negotiate with non Muslims 21:34  |  Avram 17/06/08
      54.   #17 21:35  |  doverfox 17/06/08
      55.   POP # 24 The Tahadiyah Hasn`t Gone Into Effect Yet 21:56  |  Jeff Northridge 17/06/08
      56.   This time, Israel really needs a cease fire... 22:03  |  Tosefta 17/06/08
      57.   wont last even 24 hours 22:11  |  vik 17/06/08
      58.   Doubleclick 45 22:12  |  Free Gilad Shalit 17/06/08
      59.   Stop fooling us, Israel cannot afford to have Shalit released 22:13  |  Tosefta 17/06/08
      60.   Dear Mr Fool 22:14  |  James 17/06/08
      61.   ISRAELIS ARE NOT CIVILIZED 22:15  |  indrajaya 17/06/08
      62.   #11 And the ceasefire DOES NOT INCLUDE GILAD 22:19  |  * BEN JABO 17/06/08
      63.   Living in Sderot. 22:19  |  Jean Van Daem 17/06/08
      64.   #24 POP 22:23  |  POP`S KEEPER 17/06/08
      65.   Noor - we know you`re not the brightest light 22:24  |  * BEN JABO 17/06/08
      66.   It seems that most that don`t want the ceasefire 22:30  |  * BEN JABO 17/06/08
      67.   Poppycock 35. Sorry 4 calling yr friends towelheads 22:46  |  Free Gilad Shalit 17/06/08
      68.   This time, Israel really needs a cease fire... 22:51  |  Tosefta 17/06/08
      69.   POP # 44 Not For That Reason 22:51  |  Jeff Northridge