United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon will seek clarifications from Egyptian officials Wednesday about progress on an initiative proposed by Cairo to end the violence in the Gaza Strip.
A UN official who is travelling with Ban said, "Ban wants a ceasefire as fast as possible." The official said the United Nations was receiving conflicting reports about the progress of the initiative.
Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk said Tuesday that the movement has "significant obeservations" on the Egyptian proposals. A Hamas delegation is in Cairo to relay the group's position to the Egyptian mediators.
The Egyptian proposal calls for a temporary ceasefire followed by a long-term truce and the opening of Gaza's border crossings with the presence of officials from the Palestinian Authority.
The third phase of the initiative deals with efforts to reconcile
Hamas and Fatah.
Ban's tour of the Middle East will also take him to Jordan, Israel and Syria, but he has indicated he would not have direct
contacts with Hamas.
Egyptian sources have told a Lebanese newspaper that Hamas is willing for a ceasefire to take effect at the same time as an IDF troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Until now, Hamas has demanded that the IDF pull its troops out before any truce take effect. At the same time, Hamas rejects the deployment of international forces along the Egypt-Gaza border and the transfer of responsibility for the border crossings to the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. It is demanding the immediate reopening of the Rafah terminal.
Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad is due to travel to Cairo on Thursday, assuming there is sufficient progress in Wednesday's talks in Cairo between Hamas representatives and Egyptian officials .
Israel would like to wind up the military campaign before US president elect Barack Obama is sworn in next Tuesday. If Gilad travels to Egypt on Thursday, it will be sign of significant progress and his talks are being described in Jerusalem as crucial for prospects of ending the war.
By REKA Israel
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