PM Olmert expected to visit Egypt to discuss Gaza ceasefire

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to travel to Egypt within the next few weeks to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss the situation in Gaza, the developments in a ceasefire plan with Hamas and the negotiations taking place with the Palestinians. Olmert agreed on the visit with Mubarak two weeks ago but no specific date has yet been set.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman is set to arrive in Israel today for meetings regarding recent talks between Egyptian, Hamas and Palestinian faction representatives regarding a possible ceasefire in Gaza. Suleiman will meet this morning with PM Olmert and then with Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. The three Israeli leaders held a meeting yesterday to discuss the idea of a ceasefire proposal in Gaza. Egypt's proposal calls for Israel to agree to the opening of the Rafah border crossing and for it to cease military operations in the strip. In return, Hamas will halt all rocket and terror attacks from Gaza. Olmert is expected to inform Suleiman that any proposal needs to be approved by the defence cabinet and no immediate answer will be given until the cabinet decides on the matter.

In related news, the father of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit said yesterday that it was unthinkable that a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas would not include a deal for his son's release. Shalit presented his appeal in a letter to PM Olmert, Defence Minister Barak and Foreign Minister Livni. In response, a diplomatic-security official clarified Sunday that "One of the questions we are dealing with during this visit is whether to bind Shalit's release with a truce agreement in Gaza. In the meantime, we don't have an answer."

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