The Hamas terrorist organization is reporting that it has agreed to comply with a year-long ceasefire brokered by Egypt in exchange for opening the Rafiah Crossing, according to a report broadcast Sunday afternoon by the Arabic-language Al-Arabiya satellite television network.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev, however, adamantly denied the report, saying there was no agreement to open the Rafiah Crossing. "This is Hamas disinformation," he told Israel National News bluntly. "Israel is not negotiating with Hamas, not directly, and not indirectly. George Mitchell is not speaking with Hamas either."
As for opening the Rafiah terminal, Regev said it was not likely to happen "anytime soon as far as I know. But I remind you, Hamas always says that it is a blockade -- and meanwhile, Israel has the other crossings open for humanitarian aid purposes."
The Dubai-based network had quoted Hamas sources as saying that Israel agreed to the opening of the terminal that straddles the Egypt-Gaza border, a point that until now Israel has conditioned on the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who remains captive in Gaza. The report said that Israel had also agreed not to interfere with the operation of the terminal.
The report also quoted Hamas officials as saying that in exchange, the group had agreed to the year-long ceasefire and to deployment of Palestinian Authority security forces along the Gaza border, a major sticking point in past negotiations.
Regev emphasized that no deal had been reached with Israel. "We said when we ended military operations a week and a half ago, that we reserve the right to act defensively if Hamas acts aggressively towards Israel or smuggles arms into Gaza. We reserve the right to resume military operations against the Hamas military machine if they fire rockets at Israel or smuggle arms into Gaza -- and that's the situation again today," he said.
Under the agreement, the PA forces, although controlled by Chairman and rival Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, will coordinate their movements with Hamas.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki declined to confirm or deny the report.
Abbas was urgently summoned to Cairo for talks on Sunday, apparently due to the looming likelihood of a ceasefire in the making, despite the week-long spate of rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel that had emanated from Gaza.
U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell was also scheduled to return to Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Sunday after shuttling from Jerusalem, to Ramallah and then to Amman in his efforts to help secure a stable ceasefire agreement.
Hamas's willingness to enter into the year-long truce, which is to start Thursday, did not stop its operatives from launching three rocket attacks on southern Israel Sunday morning. One of the missiles landed between two kindergarten buildings.
Gaza terrorists also fired at least four mortar shells at Israeli civilian communities in the western Negev, and snipers opened fire at IDF soldiers patrolling near the security barrier at the Kissufim Crossing. The soldiers returned fire. No one was injured on either side.