Egypt Has Talks With Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Urges End to Rocket Fire

Text of report by privately-owned Palestinian Ramattan News Agency website

["Egypt Conducts Discussions on Calm With Hamas, Islamic Jihad Leaders" - Ramattan headline]

Gaza, 6 Mar (Ramattan) – Egyptian officials discussed with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad [PIJ] leaders the possibility of reaching a calm with Israel. The two sides conducted their discussions today in the Egyptian city of Al-Arish.

Ayman Tahah, a Hamas leader, told Ramattan that “the two delegations asked that the siege on the Gaza Strip be lifted and that Israel stop its aggression.”

The Egyptian officials demanded that Hamas, PIJ, and the various Palestinian groups stop the rocket fire and commit to a calm with Israel.

Palestinian officials had earlier noted that Egyptian Minister Umar Sulayman would propose a five-point plan to Israel and Hamas. Sulayman is expected to visit Israel next week.

They added that the Egyptian proposal consists of the following points:

– Hamas would stop firing rockets at Israel.

– Israel would stop its military attacks in the Gaza Strip.

– Israel would ease its economic siege on the Palestinian territories, which it imposed following Hamas’s victory in the 2006 elections.

– Israel would open the main border crossings in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

– The border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which has been closed since Hamas defeated the forces loyal to Abbas in June 2007, would be reopened. This, on the condition that Hamas does not have a direct role in operating the crossing.

[At 1555 gmt, Ramattan posted a "breaking news" banner, noting that the Hamas and PIJ leaders returned to the Gaza Strip following their talks in Al-Arish.]

Originally published by Ramattan News Agency website, Gaza, in Arabic 6 Mar 08.

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