Israel hopes to extend Gaza ceasefire

Despite a mortar attack that wounded eight Israeli soldiers last week and almost daily Kassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip since, Israel is hoping to extend the ceasefire with Hamas that is scheduled to expire later this month.

On December 19, the six-month truce with Hamas which went into effect in June will officially expire. Defence officials said this week that the IDF assessment is that Hamas will want to extend the truce under which the crossings — which have been closed most of the last month due to the rocket attacks — will be opened. In addition, Egypt has told Hamas that it would be willing to open the Rafah Crossing between the Sinai and Gaza if the ceasefire is extended.

Last week, Defence Minister Ehud Barak dispatched former general Amos Gilad, one of his top aides, to Egypt for talks with Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman about the possibility of extending the cease-fire.

“Our interest is to extend the cease-fire but we also need to be prepared for the possibility that Hamas will not want to and will prefer to renew hostilities,” an official in Mr Barak’s office said this week. “There is definitely a possibility that violence will escalate.”