Egypt Hosts Gaza Truce Talks

Islamic Jihad, Hamas want more concessions before truce with Israel

(NEWSER) - Egypt’s talks with Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, aimed at establishing a truce with Israel, ended unsuccessfully today, Reuters reports. The militant groups demanded Israel stop Gaza and West Bank raids, end its Gaza blockade, and reopen border-crossings. Hamas and Israel already appear to have instituted a de facto ceasefire, Reuters notes. Islamic Jihad continues to fire rockets into Israel. More»

(NEWSER) - Egypt called Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip "murder" today as world leaders appealed for peace in the region, the AFP and Jerusalem Post report. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he was "deeply alarmed" by the violence, and, like Russia and the European Union, called for a ceasefire. Egypt opened its border checkpoint to allow care for injured Gazans, whose numbers have topped 400. More»

About-face signals frustration with Bush-led peace talks

(NEWSER) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas offered an unexpected olive branch to Hamas yesterday, reports the New York Times. Abbas, in control of only the West Bank since the Islamic militant group seized Gaza last year, said it was time for national unity talks aimed at forming a new government. The move could signal the total breakdown of faltering peace talks with Israel. More»

Reuters journalist among the dead in Israeli offensive

(NEWSER) - Three Israeli soldiers and at least 20 Palestinians were killed today as Israeli attacks rocked the Gaza Strip, the AP reports. Fadel Shana, a Reuters cameraman, was among the dead in fighting that undermined an Egyptian-negotiated peace effort and saw the highest death toll in a month. More»

Progress toward ceasefire after behind-the-scenes talks

(NEWSER) - Egypt is quietly working to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with its intelligence chief meeting with both Hamas and Israeli officials, allowing the two sides to formally deny that they are talking to each other, the Guardian reports. Israel is calling for a trial 30 days of calm before entering into a ceasefire, according to Egyptian sources. Israelis want rocket attacks from Gaza to stop, and arms smuggling from Egypt into Gaza to be halted. More»