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Egyptian efforts for Gaza truce gather momentum

DUBAI: Egyptian mediation to bring about a ceasefire between Palestinian militant groups and Israel is gathering momentum with the arrival in Egypt of a joint delegation from Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Saturday.

Egypt is engaged in a major diplomatic exercises to achieve three key objectives. First, it is seeking a durable ceasefire between the Gaza based Palestinian groups and Israel. Hamas and Israeli forces have clashed recently in northern Gaza after Israeli troops intruded into the Jabaliya refugee camp.

Hamas retaliated to the Israeli military action by firing a barrage of rockets into Sderot and the Israeli industrial hub of Ashkelon. Nearly 120 Palestinians were killed in these clashes.

Second, the Egyptians are seeking a deal that would allow the lifting of the blockade imposed on Gaza, which has led to a sharp deterioration of the humanitarian situation there. Gaza can be approached through several border crossing points in the north that Israel controls. It also has an opening into Egypt across the Raffah border in Sinai.

Eight British-based human rights organisations have recently revealed in a joint study that around 80 per cent of Gaza’s residents are now dependent on food aid. Unemployment in the territory is touching the 40 per cent mark.

Third, Egypt is seeking an intra-Palestinian rapprochement, mainly involving Hamas and Fatah, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

There were bitter clashes between the two in June 2007, leading to the exit of Fatah from Gaza. In a parallel reconciliatory effort, Hamas and Fatah delegations have extended their stay on Saturday in Yemen where they have been holding talks.

Egypt has been talking separately with the Israelis and the Americans to defuse the crisis surrounding Gaza. Egypt’s intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is scheduled to visit Israel to carry forward the early rounds of talks which Cairo has been hosting.

Meanwhile, Egyptian efforts have found support in Moscow, with the visiting Russian Foreign Minister to Israel, Sergey Lavrov calling for an end to the Gaza blockade.

Russia will also transfer 25 armoured vehicles to Fatah, after agreeing to the Israeli demand that these vehicles should not be fitted with machine guns.

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