Palestinian groups in Cairo talks

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7372815.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Officials from three Palestinian militant groups are in Cairo for talks with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Omar Suleiman.

The talks aim to draft a common position on any truce proposal with Israel over the Gaza Strip.

Israel has rejected a truce proposed by Hamas, saying that it was a ruse to allow the militant group to re-arm.

Egypt is trying to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the militant group which controls Gaza.

An Egyptian security source said each of the factions would talk separately to intelligence officials today and on Wednesday.

Islamic Jihad, which is responsible for firing many rockets at northern Israel from the Gaza Strip, said it planned to send a delegation from its base, in the Syrian capital Damascus, to Cairo on Monday evening.

Tunnels found

Egyptian security officials say border guards have discovered five tunnels used to smuggle fuel and other goods into the Gaza Strip.

Two of the tunnels contained plastic tubes almost a kilometre (0.6 mile) long that were apparently used to pump petrol into Gaza, bypassing an Egyptian and Israeli blockade of the territory.

The shortage of fuel in Gaza recently forced the United Nations to suspend distribution of food aid for three days.

UN officials have repeatedly called for the blockade to be lifted.

Israel says its actions are a legitimate response to rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.