Questions raised on ceasefire deal, as Cairo talks continue

With hours until the deadline of the 72-hour ceasefire, the Egyptians continue to shuttle between the Israeli and Palestinian delegations in Cairo in an effort to broker both a temporary truce extension and a long-term deal.

However, Israel is bracing itself for the resumption of rocket fire, Channel 2 reports, and the Palestinians have yet to respond to the proposal to extend the ceasefire for an additional 72-hours.

Channel 2’s diplomatic correspondent Udi Segal says that if there is a deal that works to the benefit of PA President Abbas, Israel’s 8-strong inner cabinet might be split 4-4 and that Netanyahu does not have a double vote in that forum. (The four backing a deal would be Netanyahu, Ya’alon, Livni and Lapid. The four who would oppose are Liberman, Bennett, probably Aharonovitch and possibly Erdan.)

How could Netanyahu break the tie? He could add another minister to the forum. Or, notes Segal, he could fire a minister.

Weighing in on a reported ceasefire draft, under which the PA would deploy forces along the Gaza Strip border by January 2015, replacing the IDF, Channel 2 analyst Ehud Ya’ari says the goal is to keep Hamas under the PA’s watchful eye, and surrounded on all sides.

However, he adds, Abbas would have to draft a significant number of troops to man the buffer zone, and questions whether the PA is up to the task.