Egyptian Negotiators Meeting with Hamas Delegation over Cease-Fire

[Shardik]

Source: VOA

Egyptian mediators will be conferring with a Hamas delegation from both Gaza and Damascus in a bid to broker a long-term truce with Israel, after sounding out the views and positions of Israel from its envoy, Amos Gilad, Thursday.

Painstaking and tedious behind-the-scenes negotiations are getting under way in the coming hours between Egyptian mediators and Hamas representatives, in a bid to strengthen the ceasefire in Gaza and broker a long-term truce with Israel.

Egyptian Intelligence Chief General Omar Suleiman, who brokered the last six-month truce between Israel and Hamas in February, met with Israeli Defense Ministry envoy Amos Gilad to hear Israel's position, Thursday.

An Egyptian staged-peace plan for Gaza is at the center of negotiations, building on an initial ceasefire, then moving on to the re-opening of border crossings into Gaza, followed by reconciliation between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.

Read more: http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-01-24-voa25.cfm