The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Doha

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said on Saturday his movement is awaiting an official Israeli response to a truce offer in the Gaza Strip, even though Israel has already poured cold water on it.

Meanwhile in Egypt, where the government has been attempting to mediate a ceasefire, an official said various Palestinian factions are actually still formulating a common position on a proposal for an eventual deal.

Meshaal, speaking to reporters in the Qatari capital, Doha, said Hamas "has requested from the Egyptian delegation a paper with the pledges that the Israeli occupation agrees upon in order to calm the situation. "Based on this paper, Hamas will decide whether to accept or refuse the easing of the situation that Egypt is trying to achieve between the Palestinians and the Israelis."

The Hamas supremo insisted that the truce offer was an Egyptian product and that Hamas agreed to go along with it only if Israel answered certain demands.

Hamas "did not initiate the offer to calm the situation," he said. But Zaki said that on Tuesday and Wednesday, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman will host Palestinian factions to discuss the truce proposal, though Zaki said "no dramatic developments are expected at these meetings.

In order for Egypt's mediation efforts to succeed, he said all parties "must show proof of cooperation and express a sincere desire to reach a ceasefire."

On Thursday, senior Hamas official Mahmud al-Zahar had said in Cairo that the Islamist movement had agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza first, which could be extended to the West Bank within six months.

Zahar, speaking after talks with Suleiman, said the move must be "reciprocal, simultaneous and comprehensive" and that Israel must end its crippling blockade of the impoverished territory.