BICOM

Palestinian factions including Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad are meeting in Cairo to agree their collective conditions and demands for a ceasefire.

The initial draft of ceasefire demands, as reported on Al Jazeera, is very similar to those originally sought by Hamas, and includes a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza, building an airport and sea-port, and an expansion of fishing rights.

Interestingly, a new demand has been added: the release of those Palestinian prisoners who were originally slated for release as part of the Israel-Palestinian Authority peace talks. Those prisoners were not released when the peace talks broke down in April. However, the Palestinian factions have dropped their demands on Egypt to open the Rafah crossing.

They have also refused to discuss the demilitarisation of Gaza, one of Israel’s key demands. Yesterday, Israel’s Justice Minister Tzipi Livni suggested that an international effort to disarm Gaza and return it to Palestinian Authority control could be a way forward to a lasting ceasefire.

Egypt has not yet formally responded to the collective demands, and there is some confusion as to whether the current draft is final. Meanwhile, Egypt has asked Israel to guarantee safe passage for Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders to return to Gaza after the talks finish.

Israel is currently declining to send a delegation to Egypt, but it is understood that Israeli and Egyptian officials are in close contact and discussing the proposals as they take shape. Ynet reports that Palestinian officials have said that they would not have agreed to meet an Israeli delegation in any case.