Hamas to hand over detailed proposal of truce with Israel

Cairo: The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas will give Egypt detailed proposals on a truce with Israel on Thursday, a Hamas spokesman said.

A Hamas delegation led by former Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Al Zahar arrived in Cairo on Wednesday night and had a meeting with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman on Thursday afternoon, added spokesman Taher Al Nono.

A Palestinian official familiar with the truce talks said the Islamist movement had backed away from its earlier demands.

The new offer suggests a truce could begin in Gaza first and then move after an agreed period of time to the West Bank, said the Palestinian official, who asked not to be named.

Under the truce proposal Palestinian factions will stop rocket attacks from Gaza and Israel will refrain from raids and targeted killings and will open up crossing points out of Gaza, especially the Rafah crossing with Egypt, he added.

Israel has said it is not negotiating a truce with Hamas but would have no reason to launch attacks on the Gaza Strip if rocket fire from the territory ceased. But it says it reserves the right to take military action to protect its citizens.