Egypt, PA to announce truce, peace proposals

Later tonight, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority are planning to simultaneously announce both a ceasefire and a diplomatic initiative by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to establish a Palestinian state.

Senior Palestinian officials tell The Times of Israel that according to the joint Palestinian-Egyptian plan, the Palestinian leadership will convene in Ramallah between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. this evening to introduce Abbas’s framework to “put an end to the occupation” and establish a Palestinian state.

At the same time, Cairo will call for a permanent ceasefire based on the agreements reached after Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012. According to the Egyptian proposal, the Palestinian factions’ demand for a seaport and airport will be discussed in a month’s time.

— Avi Issacharoff