ISRAEL AND PALESTINE EXTEND CEASEFIRE FOR FIVE DAYS

Cairo, 17 Shawwal 1435/14 August 2014 (MINA) –  Palestine and Israeli  occupation regime agreed to extend  both ceasefire for the next five days to resume negotiations, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said on Wednesday night.

“An agreement to extend the ceasefire for five days has been accepted by both sides to allow more time for negotiations,” an Egyptian foreign ministry statement said.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Azzam al-Ahmed confirmed the ceasefire would last for five days, unlike two previous 72-hour lulls, Ahramonline quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Thursday.

“There is an agreement on many points regarding lifting the siege,” he said of a key Palestinian demand to end an eight-year Israeli blockade of Gaza. The negotiators needed more time to settle “some” remaining disputes, he told reporters.

The joint Palestinian delegation in Cairo will leave on Thursday to consult with their leaderships, he said.  Sources told Ahram Online that Israel’s occupation regime delegation left Cairo late on Wednesday.

Al-Ahmed, a Fatah leading figure, warned earlier on Wednesday that the “situation is extremely” critical as talks produced no agreement.

“We will defend the interests of the Palestinian people,” Egypt’s state-run news agency MENA reported on Wednesday.

The Palestinian delegation officially presented its demands for a permanent ceasefire last week, including an immediate Israeli occupation regime forces withdrawal from Gaza, halting airstrikes, lifting the Israeli occupation regime blockade on Gaza and releasing Palestinian prisoners.

Israel’s occupation regime forces offensive on Gaza, which began on 8 July, led to the death of more than 1,930 Palestinians and the injury of more than 10,000 others. A total of 64 soldiers were also killed as well as three civilians on the Israeli occuoation regime side.(T/P03/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)