Egyptian sources assess that a tahdia agreement will be signed on today, February 9, 2009 between Israel and all the Palestinian factions.The tahdia will be for a period of 18 months with an option for extension, and each side will have the right to respond immediately to any aggression by the other. The agreement will also stipulate a 300-meter demilitarized zone.
According to the agreement, Israel would open the albeit crossings, at 80-percent capacity, which would allow a large quantity of merchandise to pass into the Gaza Strip, as Hamas is demanding.
However, Israel still insists on the right to prevent certain materials from entering the Strip - including cement, iron and other items. Hamas is believed to want just these materials to come in, to begin rebuilding the thousands of homes destroyed by the Israel Defense Forces during Operation Cast Lead.
Israel says these materials would be allowed in only after an agreement is reached on Shalit's release, in exchange for the Pales
tinian prisoners in Israeli jails. As for the Shalit deal, Palestinian sources claim that Israel agrees to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 350 of the 370 prisoners demanded by Hamas.
The three ministers who spoke about the Shalit release - Defense Minister Ehud Barak, National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and Pensioner Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan, who was appointed by Olmert to be on the team dealing with Shalit's release did so during interviews on Army Radio.
Sources close to Olmert were apparently displeased over reports that Barak and his representative, Amos Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry's political department, were responsible for moving the agreement forward.
Source: Al-Ayyam, PA, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London
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