The Hamas government has announced that the agreement for an 18-month truce agreement in the Gaza Strip has been agreed to, and will be announced by the Egyptian government within the next two or three days. Taher al-Nono, a member of their Cairo delegation, says the agreement would ensure the end of cross-border violence.
Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk says that the deal will have no relations to an exchange deal to free captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The Israeli government had previously linked the soldier’s release to opening the Gaza borders, which was a key requirement of Hamas for the truce.
None of the details have been released, and the Israeli government has yet to confirm that it is going along with the ceasefire. Still, the Hamas announcements show considerable confidence that a deal will be struck before the next Israeli government takes power.