Mubarak calls Livni to Cairo to discuss renewing Gaza cease-fire

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will head to Cairo on Thursday to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak about the possibility of reviving the truce with Hamas.

Hamas announced yesterday that it would suspend hostilities for 24 hours, at Cairo's request. Nevertheless, Palestinians fired two Qassam rockets and several mortar shells at Israel from the Gaza Strip; they also fired twice at soldiers stationed along the border fence. No one was hurt in any of the incidents.

Should efforts to revive the cease-fire fail, Israel has decided to embark on an aerial offensive against Hamas. However, Israeli officials are keeping the launch date for the offensive close to their chests, in the hope of surprising the Islamic organization.

Egypt mediated the talks that led to the cease-fire being declared six months ago. Hamas terminated the deal last Friday.

A government source said that in her meeting with Mubarak, Livni plans to reiterate her view that Hamas' reign in Gaza must be ended. She will also say that the organization must not be allowed to renew the truce on better terms than it obtained in the original deal.

The invitation to visit Cairo came during a telephone conversation with her Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and was apparently meant in part to show that Cairo is backing Livni in her race for the premiership. That is why the invitation was issued to her rather than to Defense Minister and Labor Party chairman Ehud Barak, who has been the main champion of reviving the cease-fire.

Hamas officials said they declared the 24-hour truce to allow the Kerem Shalom crossing to open so that a shipment of humanitarian goods from Egypt could enter Gaza. Israel had initially refused Egypt's request to let the shipment through, saying that as long as there was active fighting along the border, it could not risk opening the crossing. Egypt therefore asked Hamas to call a temporary halt, and Hamas agreed.

Israeli security officials said this proves that Egypt can influence Hamas when it chooses.

Palestinian sources said that if Israel does open the crossing, Hamas will cooperate with Egypt's efforts to broker a new cease-fire. However, Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan denied that the organization is currently discussing the matter with Cairo.

"The 24-hour cease-fire was strictly a humanitarian measure," he said. "There are no official contacts about extending it."

Hamas sources said that while the organization does not currently intend to extend the cease-fire, it does not intend to escalate the fighting at this time.

Mahmoud al-Zahar, one of the organization's leaders in Gaza, said in interviews with Israeli television stations that the truce will be renewed if and when Israel reopens the border crossings fully. Israeli politicians' threats to launch a military operation in the Strip, or to assassinate senior Hamas officials, do not frighten the organization, he added.

Barak was guarded yesterday in comments about the situation on the southern front, telling a meeting of his Labor faction that Israel would "not accept the developing situation in Gaza," but that the government would choose the right "place, time and manner" of taking action.

Separately, Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi told reporters that "it would be wrong to discuss operational plans" in the media.

However, the current stormy weather in the south would make any aerial assault more difficult.

Ashkenazi also said that concern over the fate of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit is one factor in any decision on whether to launch a military operation in Gaza. Shalit is being held by Hamas.

In addition, he confirmed that Hamas has rockets capable of reaching the outskirts of Be'er Sheva. "Every few months, they increase their range," he said.