PA, Egypt representatives discuss changes to ceasefire proposal

In the past few hours in Cairo, representatives of the Palestinian Authority headed by intel chief Majed Faraj and Egyptian representatives have met to discuss amendments to the Egyptian ceasefire proposal.

Faraj, who was present at the meeting in Qatar between Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal and PA President Mahmoud Abbas, left Doha shortly thereafter in haste for Cairo.

According to various Palestinian sources, Mashaal agreed to the Egyptian proposal of an immediate ceasefire but demanded the inclusion of various changes, foremost of which is a call to remove the blockade of Gaza. Mashaal even demanded guarantees for the removal of the blockade not just from Egypt, but from the PA and the United States, but didn’t insist on inclusion of Hamas’s other demands for the past two weeks, namely the opening of the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt, freedom for prisoners released in the Shalit deal who were recently taken back into Israeli custody, establishment of an international port and others.

If this version of the deal is accepted, it means that Hamas withdrew its demand for a ceasefire on its terms.

Until now no official Hamas position has been expressed on the issue, but sources in the PA claim that the organization agrees to the version agreed upon by Mashaal and Abbas.

Abbas is expected to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon tomorrow in Cairo, and an announcement of a long-term humanitarian truce along these lines is planned.

— Avi Issacharoff