Egypt: Egyptian mediation focussed only on Israeli-Hamas truce

Apr 26, 2008, 11:21 GMT

Cairo - Egypt's mediating efforts are focusing only on initiating a truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas, media reports cited Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki as saying Saturday.

Speaking to the Voice of Palestine radio station, Zaki also said Egypt was not officially obliged to open its crossing border with the Gaza Strip if the truce failed.

The spokesman spoke in reaction to statements by a senior Hamas leader and participant in negotiations Mahmoud al-Zahar saying that Egypt was obliged to reopen the Rafah crossing border if the truce failed.

Zaki said that only Egyptian officials could announce the country's mediating actions; statements to the media from other sides regarding the issue were incorrect.

The truce offer comes as part of a comprehensive proposal aimed at stopping military clashes between of Hamas and Israel, lifting the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and restoring the normal roles of the borders, the spokesman said.

Egypt has invited Palestinian factions to meet in Cairo on Monday to negotiate the truce with Israel, Zaki said, adding that Egypt's mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel did not imply that Egypt recognized Hamas' June 2007 takeover of Gaza.

He explained that Hamas was a part of the 'Palestinian equation' and had actual control over the Gaza Strip, which logically drove Egypt to deal with the movement in an attempt to alleviate the sufferings of Gazans.

Egypt has previously allowed relief aid into Gaza, and wounded Gazans to pass into Egypt via the Rafah border crossing.