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Gaza truce extended by five days as Cairo talks continue

[ssba]

A five-day extension to the truce between Israel and Hamas was agreed late last night, with both sides set to continue talks in Cairo aimed at brokering a longer-term ceasefire agreement.

A previous three-day truce expired at midnight and during yesterday it remained unclear whether the end of the truce would be met with diplomatic progress or a return to violence. However, despite a brief flurry of Gaza rocket fire into Israel yesterday evening, the head of the Palestinian delegation, Azzam al-Ahmed later confirmed “We have agreed on a cease-fire for five days,” noting that “significant progress” had been made.

However, al-Ahmed also emphasised that sharp disagreements remain over the wording of a long-term agreement, especially over Hamas’s request to construct a sea and airport. It is thought that Israel wants to make this conditional upon the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip. Although there has been no official word on the details of the deal under discussion, it is thought that the core issues of Gaza’s demilitarisation as demanded by Israel and Hamas’s key demand for unrestricted movement in and out of Gaza, will be discussed at a later date. The Palestinian Authority (PA) is also set to play a key role in any future deal, as it would likely be entrusted with managing the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly informed members of the security cabinet of the ceasefire extension after it had been agreed. Netanyahu and Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon are thought to be overseeing the diplomatic process personally with Israeli media reporting that cabinet ministers are dismayed at the lack of consultation with them. Ynet quotes an unnamed minister who said that Netanyahu “didn’t speak to the cabinet throughout the day and we don’t know what’s going on.” Another told Walla News that ministers “are updated on the fate of the truce from Hamas press briefings.”