MID: Hamas agrees to Gaza truce, Israel reply awaited: official
15 Jan 2009 4:32 AM
CAIRO, Jan 14 AFP - Hamas has accepted an Egyptian ceasefire proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip and Cairo is awaiting Israel's response, a senior Egyptian diplomat told AFP on Wednesday.
"We have obtained Hamas's agreement and are awaiting the response from Israel," whose envoy is due in Cairo on Thursday, the diplomat said, requesting anonymity.
"We will see when (Israeli defence official) Amos Gilad comes," he added, putting the ball in the Israeli camp. Gilad is due in Cairo on Thursday.
The Gaza-based Hamas delegation was due to give a press conference in Cairo later on Wednesday.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos also told reporters in Jerusalem earlier that Hamas has accepted the Egyptian initiative.
"Hamas is going to publicly express its support and acceptance," Moratinos, the European Union's former Middle East envoy, told reporters.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said earlier that Hamas had told Egypt its position on the truce proposal, which Egypt would give to Gilad on Thursday.
"We will tell the Israelis what we have obtained from our brothers Hamas," Abul Gheit said, with more than one in 300 Gazans dead or wounded in the assault on the built-up territory of 1.5 million.
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 19-day-old offensive, and 4,500 wounded, according to Palestinian medics.
