Negotiators to discuss cease-fire for enclave

JERUSALEM/GAZA — Israel said on Thursday its head of the Mossad agency would attend Gaza cease-fire talks and Hamas vowed to stop fighting if a truce is reached.

A senior Hamas official told AFP that a delegation from the group's Doha-based leadership discussed "ideas and proposals" related to a Gaza truce with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Thursday.

"Hamas has expressed readiness to stop the fighting, but Israel must commit to a cease-fire, withdraw from the Gaza Strip, allow the return of displaced people, agree to a serious prisoner exchange deal and allow the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza," the official said.

The talks in Cairo were part of Egypt's ongoing efforts to resume cease-fire negotiations, he added.

Openness signaled

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he welcomed Egypt's readiness to reach a deal "for the release of the hostages" still held by militants in Gaza.

After the Cairo meeting, Netanyahu directed the head of Israel's Mossad agency to leave for key mediator Qatar on Sunday to "advance a series of initiatives that are on the agenda", the prime minister's office said.

Earlier on Thursday, the United States and Qatar said Gaza cease-fire talks would resume in the Qatari capital.

On the battlefield, Israel expanded its focus to Lebanon a month ago, vowing to secure its northern border against near-daily attacks by Hezbollah.

Since Sept 23, the fighting in Lebanon has killed at least 1,580 people, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures.

The Israeli military confirmed on Friday that it had struck a border crossing between Syria and Lebanon that it said was being used by Hezbollah to transfer weapons.

The Israeli military has kept up pressure on Hamas, launching an operation earlier this month in the north of Gaza where tens of thousands of civilians are trapped.

Israeli military strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis killed at least 38 people since Thursday night and Israeli forces launched a nighttime raid on a hospital in the north, Palestinian officials said.

The Gaza health ministry said on Friday that many of the casualties from the Israeli strikes on houses in southeast Khan Younis were women and children.

The Israeli military said in a statement forces killed a number of Palestinian gunmen in air and ground strikes in the southern Gaza Strip and dismantled military infrastructure.

Agencies via Xinhua