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Hamas officials in Cairo for talks over Israeli response to truce

Other News Materials 15 June 2008 17:56 (UTC +04:00)

A delegation from the Palestinian militant group Hamas is expected to meet Egypt's intelligence chief Sunday for talks over Israel's response to Cairo's proposals aimed at bringing an end to hostilities in the Gaza Strip.

The talks come two days after a senior advisor to Israel's Defence Minister Amos Gilad gave Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Soliman his initial approval to Egypt's truce proposals, Egyptian intelligence sources told the pan Arab newspaper Al-Hyatt on Sunday.

Gilad again expressed Israel's willingness to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Israel also demands an end to arms smuggling via the Gaza border with Egypt and to rocket attacks by Hamas militants on towns in southern Israel.

Hamas says the release of Shalit should be discussed separately and not be linked to talks over ending hostilities in Gaza. The militant group wants Egypt to open its border with the Gaza Strip to ease an Israeli blockade on the territory.

Egypt told Israel that reaching a truce would facilitate the exchange of prisoners while at the same time telling Hamas that a truce is a vital step before opening the Rafah border, the sources said.

Mohamed Nasr, a senior member of Hamas, told the BBC Arabic Service that Hamas officials were in Cairo to hear Israel's response, not to give the group's final response to the Egyptian proposals.

A year ago, Hamas took over the Gaza Strip after ousting loyalists of the rival Fatah faction following deadly fighting, dpa reported.

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