Gaza's Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says ball in Israeli court for ceasefire
deal mediated by Egypt, but Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak denies talks
on truce.

GAZA CITY, GAZA (MARCH 12, 2008) (AL AQSA TV) - Hamas publicly set its conditions on Wednesday (March 12) for a
ceasefire with Israel, calling for an end to all acts of Israeli
"aggression" in the Gaza Strip and West Bank and the reopening of
Gaza border crossings.
    The terms mirrored proposals raised by Egyptian mediators trying to
piece together a truce deal, which would also end Gaza rocket attacks on
Israel by militants from Hamas and other Palestinian groups.
    Violence has declined sharply over the past week. A ceasefire could
foster progress in U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah faction lost control of the Gaza Strip to
Hamas last June.
    "There must be a commitment, in return (from the Israelis), to end
its comprehensive aggression against our people, end assassinations and
killings and raids, ending all forms of aggression, lifting the siege and
reopening of the crossings," Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas's
administration in the Gaza Strip, said in a speech at the Islamic
University.
    A ceasefire, he said, should be "reciprocal, comprehensive and
simultaneous" and should apply both to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank
and be approved by other Palestinian factions.
    Hamas had previously been vague about whether it would insist on
including the West Bank in any Gaza truce.
    "Today, we say that after this victory, there is a Palestinian
dialogue and our brothers in Egypt are arranging it and calling the parties.
The Palestinians are waiting for the Israeli answers, the ball now is in the
Israeli field," Haniyeh told students in Gaza city.
    Rocket salvoes from the Gaza Strip have tailed off since Israel ended
an offensive in the territory nine days ago that killed 120 Palestinians.
Israel has not raided the area since wrapping up the operation.
    Egypt has stepped up truce efforts -- amid Israeli leaders' insistence
they are not negotiating with Hamas. The Islamist group has spurned Western
demands to recognise Israel and renounce violence.
    Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak toured the Gaza border area where
in remarks to reporters he denied the idea of a truce with Hamas and reports
about an agreement.
    "We are not in a situation of an arrangement. We are in the midst
of ongoing activity that is intended to bring an end to Qassam fire and return
the security to the residents of the area," Barak said after being
briefed by commanders at the border area. "The continuation of fighting
in Gaza will bring to an escalation beyond what we have seen up to now, before
we will see calm," he added.
    Israel tightened its Gaza border restrictions, worsening humanitarian
conditions, after the Hamas takeover nine months ago. Israel is under
international pressure not to cause the Gaza Strip's 1.5 million inhabitants
more hardship.
    A reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt could be key
to improving conditions for ordinary Palestinians. Abbas has U.S. backing to
take control also of Gaza's main crossing points with Israel. But Barak was
also sceptical regarding the chances of reaching an agreement with Abbas.   

    "We are not yet on the cusp of an agreement with Mahmoud Abbas,
despite the state of Israel making great efforts to reach an agreement. I
don't know if there will be an agreement - but if it will not happen - it is
not because israel was not willing to reach an agreement with the
Palestinians, but because on the Palestinian side there is no willingness to
make difficult decisions for their people and the the ability, for now, to
establish a system of law enforcement, government, security, and a lack of
successes in fighting terrorism," Barak told reporters.   
    Both Haniyeh and Barak spoke several hours after Israeli troops killed
an Islamic Jihad militant in the West Bank. Islamic Jihad, which has been
behind many of the Gaza rocket attacks, vowed revenge.