By Xinhua,
Gaza : Egypt has invited a Hamas delegation to Cairo to discuss Israel’s decision regarding the Egyptian offer for a ceasefire between Israel and armed Palestinian groups, Hamas sources said on Wednesday.
According to the invitation, Hamas representatives will be in Cairo on Sunday to meet Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman who just returned from Israel after presenting the Gaza ceasefire initiative.
“We hope to get positive reply on stopping the aggressions and lifting the siege on Gaza,” Hamas’ spokesman Ayman Taha told reporters in Gaza. The Palestinian factions, led by Hamas, have earlier accepted the Egyptian proposal.
Egypt presented the offer to avoid further economic deterioration and an escalation of violence in Gaza Strip due to a tight siege that Israel imposed when Hamas took over the territory by force in June.
Hamas said that Egypt should open its borders with Gaza unilaterally if Israel rejected the truce offer, adding that Hamas’ stance regarding the ceasefire “would be decided after receiving Israel’s official response via Suleiman.”
Israel has reportedly linked the acceptance of the ceasefire with the release of Gilad Shalit, a Israeli corporal detained by Hamas since a cross-border raid in 2006. Hamas rejects to involve Shalit in the lull deal.