Egypt proposes Israel-Gaza ceasefire 15 July 2014 Last updated at 00:00 Egypt has proposed a ceasefire to end a week of cross-border fire between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The initiative urges a ceasefire starting early on Tuesday followed by a series of meetings in Cairo with high-level delegations from both sides. However an official from Hamas, which controls Gaza, said a full deal would have to come first, before a ceasefire. Israeli officials said PM Benjamin Netanyahus security cabinet would discuss the proposal early on Tuesday. A senior Israeli official told the BBC that Hamas was much weaker after air strikes destroyed many of its rockets and manufacturing facilities. The ceasefire calls comes ahead of an urgent meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo. Hamas, the faction that controls Gaza, confirmed that truce efforts were under way. But a Hamas official told the AFP news agency that a political agreement must be reached before a ceasefire could take effect. A ceasefire without reaching an agreement is rejected. In times of war, you dont cease fire and then negotiate, said spokesperson Fawzi Barhum. Palestinian officials say at least 175 people in Gaza have been killed by Israeli air strikes since the offensive began last Tuesday. Israel says nearly 1,000 rockets have been fired from Gaza in that time. Thousands of people have fled their homes in northern Gaza after an Israeli warning and Israel has also massed thousands of troops on the border, amid speculation of a possible ground invasion. Cairo focus Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader in Gaza, said in a speech broadcast on al-Jazeera that Hamas was not only seeking an end to the fighting but also an easing of the Israeli blockade that has crippled life in Gaza. The problem is the reality of Gaza, the siege, the starving, the bombing. The siege must stop and people in Gaza need to live in dignity, he said. Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza when Hamas - which is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the US and other countries - took over in 2007. Israel is demanding an end to rocket attacks on its towns and cities from Gaza. Egyptian state media has reported that US Secretary of State John Kerry will be in Cairo
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 02:44:54 +0000
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