By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israel will host Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman on Monday to hear a proposal for truce with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, though it still shuns direct negotiation with the Islamist group, a senior Israeli defense official said Sunday.
“Omar Suleiman will come, we will listen to him, we will confer,we will see what he is offering, and on that basis we will make decisions,” Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Israel Radio, signalling possible flexibility on the truce proposal.
“As of now, there is nothing on the table for discussion… We have no dialogue with an organization that flies the flag of our destruction,” Vilnai said referring to Hamas’ refusal to forswear violence and recognize Israel.
After talks with Suleiman in Cairo last month, Hamas offered a six-month ceasefire with Israel in Gaza if Israel lifts an embargoon the coastal Palestinian territory.
However, Israel rebuffed the initiative when it was broached, calling it a ruse aimed at allowing Hamas to recover from recent fighting.
On Friday, an Israeli civilian was killed by a mortar shell fired form Gaza on Kibbutz Kfar Aza in western Negev. Hamas radio said the group was responsible for the attack.
Hours later, Israel Air Force killed five Hamas security men inGaza.
Before the celebration of Israel’s 60th statehood, Israeli security establishments raised the alert level, preparing for the possibility that Palestinian militants might target the Israeli civilians and fire rockets during the Independence Day celebrations.
Israel Defense Forces imposed a full closure of the West Bank from midnight Monday to midnight Thursday, the end of the Independence Day celebrations.