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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Israel puts terms on Gaza truce | Israel puts terms on Gaza truce |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Israel will not agree to a truce in Gaza unless an Israeli soldier held by Palestinian militants is freed, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said. | Israel will not agree to a truce in Gaza unless an Israeli soldier held by Palestinian militants is freed, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said. |
| Gilad Shalit was captured by Palestinian militants in 2006. | Gilad Shalit was captured by Palestinian militants in 2006. |
| There have been reports that Egypt was close to brokering a long-term truce between Hamas and Israel. | There have been reports that Egypt was close to brokering a long-term truce between Hamas and Israel. |
| A punishing three-week Israeli assault on Gaza aimed at stopping militant rocket fire on Israel ended with separate ceasefires in January. | A punishing three-week Israeli assault on Gaza aimed at stopping militant rocket fire on Israel ended with separate ceasefires in January. |
| The uneasy calm has been punctuated by exchanges of fire between the two sides. | The uneasy calm has been punctuated by exchanges of fire between the two sides. |
| "The position of the prime minister is that Israel won't reach any arrangement on a truce before the release of Gilad Shalit," Mr Olmert's office said in a statement. | "The position of the prime minister is that Israel won't reach any arrangement on a truce before the release of Gilad Shalit," Mr Olmert's office said in a statement. |
| Prisoner swap talks | Prisoner swap talks |
| On Thursday, Hamas officials said they expected a truce with Israel to be announced within days. | On Thursday, Hamas officials said they expected a truce with Israel to be announced within days. |
| Any truce is expected to see Israel gradually open the borders to Gaza, ending the blockade it has enforced since Hamas seized control of the territory in mid-2007. | Any truce is expected to see Israel gradually open the borders to Gaza, ending the blockade it has enforced since Hamas seized control of the territory in mid-2007. |
| In return, Israel wants to see an end to weapons smuggling and attacks from Gaza. | |
| Moussa Abu Marzouk, a deputy leader of Hamas, said his group had agreed to the terms of a 18-month ceasefire with Israel and that he expected it would be announced within 48 hours. | Moussa Abu Marzouk, a deputy leader of Hamas, said his group had agreed to the terms of a 18-month ceasefire with Israel and that he expected it would be announced within 48 hours. |
| But Israel reportedly wants any ceasefire to be open-ended. | But Israel reportedly wants any ceasefire to be open-ended. |
| Separately, Egypt has also been leading negotiations on a prisoner swap that would see Cpl Gilad Shalit released in exchange for several hundred Palestinians held by Israel. | Separately, Egypt has also been leading negotiations on a prisoner swap that would see Cpl Gilad Shalit released in exchange for several hundred Palestinians held by Israel. |
| Hamas has refused to link the release of Cpl Shalit with the proposed ceasefire. | Hamas has refused to link the release of Cpl Shalit with the proposed ceasefire. |