An Egyptian source said that Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman has clarified to the Hamas government that the Egyptian initiative requires an immediate answer regarding the ceasefire, and that it includes issues to be discussed at a later stage.

These issues include an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the opening of the crossings, and the removal of the blockade.

Egyptian Committee for Foreign Affairs and National Security head Muhammad Bassiouni said that Egypt had given Israel and Hamas a 48-hour extension to respond to its proposal.

Bassiouni clarified that Egypt intended to uncover and destroy the arms-smuggling tunnels, and that it would not agree to the deployment of an international force in its territory but would not reject such a deployment in the Palestinian Authority if it so desired.

Bassiouni also expressed his commitment to the 2005 Rafah crossing agreement, under which the Palestinian Authority is responsible for the crossing under oversight by European observers, and said that Hamas could have the crossing open in a second if it would allow 15 Palestinian Authority members to be present.

Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, January 12, 2009