Hamas to Cairo for Truce talks

By The Media Line news agency

Senior Hamas members are heading for Egypt on Tuesday in order to discuss possibilities of a truce with Israel.

Hamas representatives are meeting with the head of Egypt's intelligence, 'Umar Suleiman, who will present an Egypt proposal for a cease-fire agreement that includes deploying monitors at the border.

Egypt has acted as mediator between Hamas and Fatah as well as between Hamas and Israel and is expected to ask Hamas to iron out its differences with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud 'Abbas and incorporate Fatah into the leadership in Gaza.

Israel views Hamas approaching Egypt as an indication that Hamas is feeling pressured and is opting for a diplomatic path to end Israel's military operation in Gaza.

The Israeli offensive, dubbed Operation Cast Lead, began on December 28 and aims to restore calm to Israel's south and stop the deluge of rockets and mortars from being fired onto Israel from the Gaza Strip.

More than 550 Palestinians have been killed in the operation, including civilians.

Hamas' visit to Egypt coincides with a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at ending the violence in Gaza and Israel.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting several capitals in the region as part of a peacemaking mission to the Middle East.

Sarkozy met with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem and with Mahmoud 'Abbas in Ramallah on Monday.

He condemned both sides for violence and said the European Union supported efforts to end the bloodshed.

Sarkozy is expected to continue his visit to Lebanon and to Syria.

A delegation of European foreign ministers is also in the region in an effort to cement a cease-fire agreement.

Meanwhile, popular demonstrations are continuing to take place throughout the Middle East urging the international community to stop Israel's operation.

In a rare move, Mauritania recalled its ambassador to Israel on Monday in protest against the Gaza operation.

Mauritania is the third country in the Arab League that has had full diplomatic relations with Israel, which it has had since 1999. Unlike the other two countries, Egypt and Jordan, Mauritania was the only Arab country not to recall its ambassador when violence broke out between Israelis and Palestinians in 2000.

The recall comes on the heels of statements made by coup leaders in the North Africa country supporting a severance of ties with Israel.

A deterioration in Israeli-Mauritanian relations could also deal a blow to the United States' efforts to install democracy in the Middle East, as Mauritania could start relying on more extreme countries such as Libya for aid and support.

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