By Xinhua,
Gaza : Six Palestinian factions present in Cairo announced on Wednesday they accepted Egypt’s initiative for a ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip, local Palestinian media reported.
The local Palestinian news agency “Sama News” quoted seniorPalestinian sources close to the dialogue in Cairo as saying that the Palestinian factions accepted the initiative.
The other 12 Palestinian factions, mainly the Islamic Jihad (Holy War), have accepted the Egyptian proposals on Wednesday. Khaled al-Batsh, a senior Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza said his movement will issue later in the day a statement confirming this after Egypt’s intelligence chief Omar Suliman finishes his meetings with the factions’ representatives.
“The Islamic Jihad supports the principle of broad, mutual and coincident calmness which includes the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank and will not block the truce efforts,” said al-Batsh. According to Sama news agency, the factions’ vision was that the ceasefire must cover Gaza and the West Bank with coincidence between Israel and the armed groups. They also want a lift of the siege that Israel imposes on Gaza.
Egypt’s efforts were focused on the Gaza Strip as it fallsunder a tight Israeli siege and increasing military operations. The siege puts Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip at risk. InJanuary, Hamas blew up the borders and allowed hundreds ofthousands of Gazans to cross freely into Sinai.
Hamas, which rules Gaza, had accepted the Egyptian proposals earlier and is now awaiting the Israeli responses. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement announced its support for the Egyptian move.
Hamas took over the enclave from pro-Abbas forces in last June.