BICOM

A report by an Arabic-language daily claims that Israel is willing to agree to a water passage between the Gaza Strip and Cyprus, as part of a deal which would see a truce with Hamas for a period of between 7 – 10 years.

Although Israel and Hamas agreed terms to end the fighting of last summer’s Operation Protective Edge, there is no long-term arrangement between the two sides to ensure quiet in Gaza and the surrounding Israeli communities. A tense calm has largely prevailed during the past year, although rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel on at least six occasions during the past two months, including a Grad rocket near Ashdod.

It was reported earlier this week that former-Prime Minister Tony Blair has met twice in the past few weeks with Hamas’s political chief Khaled Mashaal to discuss a possible long-term ceasefire. Although there has been no official confirmation of the meetings, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that other Palestinian factions have been updated on efforts to achieve a sustainable truce with Israel. However, Israel has denied that negotiations are taking place with Hamas.

Nonetheless, the London-based Al-Hayat claims that Israel is willing to see the establishment of a sea passage between Cyprus and the Gaza Strip, but remains opposed to the construction of an airport in Gaza. Apparently, Israel is conditioning any agreement on the return of IDF soldiers’ body parts and Israelis currently being held in the Gaza Strip. It was recently revealed that two Israeli citizens entered Gaza of their own accord during the past year and are thought to still be there.

At the same time, Hamas is thought to be restocking its arsenal of rockets and a Hamas operative recently apprehended by Israeli forces revealed that attack tunnels are being constructed to launch fresh attacks on Israel. He added that goods entering Gaza with Israeli permission are being utilized in this effort.