Hamas declared yesterday that the Palestinian factions have agreed to stop the launch of rockets onto Israel for 24 hours (starting from yesterday), as proposed by Egypt, in order to let Egyptian aid into the Gaza Strip through the Karem Abu Salem border crossing. Hamas leading figure Ayman Taha told France Press about this ceasefire, although the Islamic Jihad Movement rejected any such initiative. Egyptian Red Crescent Secretary General Mamdouh Gabr told Al-Masry Al-Youm that negotiations are currently underway to let the Egyptian aid from Arish into the Gaza Strip. He expected the go-ahead to be given within the next two days. Meanwhile, an Egyptian diplomatic source denied that Egypt was contributing to the blockade on the Gaza Strip, blaming on the contrary Israel and Hamas. In an exclusive interview to Al-Masry Al-Youm, the source expressed Cairo's concerns over Israel's latest declarations regarding an enlarged military operation in the Gaza Strip after Hamas ended a ceasefire with Israel. "Egypt has told Israel that it refuses Israeli operations in Gaza and that the Jewish State must provide food, electricity and water to the Palestinian people" the source said, pointing out that Hamas just follows its foreign parties, Iran and Syria.
