The Political-Security cabinet will meet on Sunday to discuss efforts by UN envoy Nikolai Mladanov and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to reach a political settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority over the security situation in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced that he had decided to cancel a trip to Colombia that was supposed to take place next week.
The Prime Minister's Office said, "Due to the situation in the south, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to stay in Israel next week and therefore canceled his trip to Colombia."
The specific background to the decision was apparently not related to the ongoing reconciliation negotiations between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority under Egyptian auspices.
As part of the negotiations, a Hamas delegation is expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip, where the organization's deputy leader, Salah al-'Auri, may also participate in the cogitations.