Israel non-committal on Hamas truce terms

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces thrust deep into the city of Gaza on Thursday in what may be their final push against Islamist Hamas militants before agreeing to a ceasefire in the 20-day-old war.

After studying Hamas's terms for a halt to the conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni would fly to Washington to promote a key Israeli demand -- a guaranteed end to Hamas weapons smuggling via Egypt.

But Olmert, following top-level talks, did not address conditions put forward by Hamas via Egyptian mediators. Some diplomats expected Israel would be cool to some of the terms.

Hamas proposed a year-long, renewable ceasefire, the withdrawal of all Israel forces within 5 to 7 days, and the immediate opening of all Gaza border crossings, backed by international guarantees they would stay open.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, speaking earlier in Jerusalem, said the Israeli government was due to "make an important decision on a ceasefire" which he hoped would be the right one. Later he said it might take "a few more days."

As hopes of a truce grew the sounds of fighting tapered off, after one of the heaviest days of the Israeli offensive.

The Palestinian death toll from the air-and-ground offensive was at least 1,105 with some 5,100 wounded, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. A Palestinian rights group said about 700 of the dead were civilians.

Thirteen Israelis have been killed, including 10 soldiers and three civilians hit by Hamas rocket fire.

"VILLAGERS WITH GUNS"

In Damascus, exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, a target for assassination by Israel, reiterated his group's demands.

"First, the aggression must stop; second, the Israeli forces must withdraw from Gaza ... immediately, of course; thirdly, the siege must be lifted and fourth we want all crossing-points reopened, first of which is Rafah (Egypt)."

In Gaza, Hamas interior minister Saeed Seyyam was killed by an Israeli air strike on a house in Jabalya refugee camp, along with his son, brother and half a dozen others. Seyyam oversaw 13,000 Hamas police and security men.

At least 15 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza city during the day, medical officials said. Israeli fire also hit a U.N. compound, a hospital and a TV office.

In a pool report from an Israel base just outside northern Gaza, Western correspondents quoted a young Israeli sergeant as saying Hamas fighters were "villagers with guns."

"They don't even aim when they shoot," he said. "We kept saying Hamas was a strong terror organization but it was more easy than we thought it would be."  Continued...