cabinet meeting (archive)
cabinet meeting (archive)Flash 90

The political-security cabinet will meet Sunday afternoon to discuss efforts by UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to reach a political settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs on the Gaza border.

According to Palestinian Arab reports, the Hamas terrorist organization has already expressed its willingness to accept the Egyptian arrangement, which includes a calming of tensions with Israel and the transfer of the administration of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority.

This is a plan that, if approved by the cabinet, will be carried out in stages. In the first stage, after a complete cessation of balloon terrorism and any other type of firing from Gaza, the Rafah crossing will be opened regularly and crossings will be given easier access to Israel, while the fishing zone for Gaza fisherman will be widened.

If the first stage is successful, then contacts will be held to return Israeli civilians and the bodies of soldiers held by Hamas, with the main move in exchange being to promote significant international projects for the population of Gaza.

It should be noted that the cabinet will hold a discussion on the plan at its meeting today, but it is highly likely that further discussion will be required before the ministers decide on the issue.

Even before the meeting, families of IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians held in Gaza will hold a joint press conference after which they will march to the gates of the Prime Minister's Office and ask to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu before the cabinet meeting.

In the afternoon, during the meeting, the Goldin, Shaul, Mengistu and Abu Ghanima families will hold a protest vigil opposite the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem.