RAFAH: A delegation from Hamas and Islamic Jihad met with Egyptian security officials Thursday to discuss a ceasefire proposal with Israel that was prepared by Egypt in consultation with the Israelis, officials from both sides said. Violence has flared in recent weeks as Israel has retaliated against Palestinians firing rockets from the Gaza Strip. Israel demands an end to the rocket fire but has ruled out direct talks with Hamas to negotiate a truce. The Palestinians want an end to the Israeli siege of Gaza and a reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. They also want the ceasefire to apply to both Hamas-controlled Gaza and the West Bank, which is dominated by the more moderate Fatah group. "A truce has to be comprehensive, mutual and lead to ending the siege,'' Islamic Jihad negotiator Khaled Batch said before crossing into Egypt for Thursday's talks. Earlier reports said the ceasefire proposal would only apply to Gaza. "We will not accept the division,'' he added, in reference to the current split between Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian and Egyptian officials also discussed Thursday the release of Hamas leader Ayman Nawfal, who Egypt detained earlier this year and accused of planning suicide attacks inside the country. The issue of Nawfal's release was likely to impede the ceasefire discussions, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Nawfal slipped into Egypt in January along with thousands of other Palestinians after Hamas blew open the wall on the border with Gaza. On Sunday, Egypt released 34 Palestinians it had detained in January on suspicion of carrying weapons and other military contraband into the country. -AP writer Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report from Gaza.
