A Hamas leader currently in Cairo, Mousa Abu Marzouk, told the Al-Hayat newspaper that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have accepted the Egyptian ceasefire proposal and are now waiting for an Israeli answer. The Egyptian deal calls for a gradual easing of restrictions on trade and movement in and out of Gaza, and would give Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas some control in Gaza. Israeli officials have confirmed there is a draft of a cease-fire deal, but refused to comment further. The Israeli cabinet was not scheduled to meet today, meaning Israel did not expect to issue an imminent formal response to the proposal. According to the Palestinian news agency Ma’an, the Egyptian proposal includes opening the Rafah border crossing, opening Gaza’s border with Israel to allow goods and construction materials into Gaza, and expanding Gaza’s fishing zone to six miles. Several organizations estimate it will take ten years to rebuild Gaza after heavy damage during the past seven weeks of fighting between Hamas and Israel.
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