Egyptian cease-fire mediators shuttle between Israel, Gaza

Nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during the protests. (Reuters)

• Hamas was making preparations for a mass demonstration along the Israeli border on Saturday
• The protest, marking the one-year anniversary of the weekly gatherings, is expected to be exceptionally large

JERUSALEM: Egyptian mediators headed to Israel on Thursday to discuss a proposal for a new cease-fire plan between Israel and Hamas, even as the sides braced for the possibility of renewed violence this weekend.
As negotiations continued, Hamas was making preparations for a mass demonstration along the Israeli border on Saturday. In response, Israel said it was moving additional troops to the area.
Ismail Radwan, a top Hamas official, said the Egyptians were expected to return to Gaza later Thursday or early Friday following their meetings with the Israeli side.
He signaled that if there is progress, Hamas would scale back Saturday’s demonstration. The protest, marking the one-year anniversary of the weekly gatherings, is expected to be exceptionally large.
“The new understanding, if implemented, would make our people in Gaza feel a significant relief,” Radwan said. He said if Israel “was committed to the understandings, then Saturday’s march would be peaceful.”
Three Hamas officials familiar with the negotiations said the Egyptians were offering the organization a series of measures to ease a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade on Gaza. In exchange, Hamas would have to pledge to halt rocket fire and keep border protests under control and far from the separation fence.
The officials say the deal would only take effect after Saturday’s demonstration — a likely sticking point with the Israelis.
They said the Israeli gestures would include an expanded fishing zone for Palestinian anglers off the Mediterranean coast, increasing imports and exports in and out of Gaza, increased electricity from Israel and increased movement of people through Gaza’s border crossings.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were ongoing. One of the officials described the atmosphere as positive.
There was no immediate Israeli comment on the talks.
Nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during the protests. Israel says it is defending its border against infiltration attempts, noting that protesters have hurled flaming tires, explosives and incendiary balloons across the border. But the military has come under heavy international criticism over the large number of unarmed people who have been shot, sometimes hundreds of meters (yards) away from the border.
During a trip to the southern border region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was prepared to take further military action in Gaza, but only as a last resort.
Netanyahu made his comments Thursday after visiting troops sent to the Gaza border this week after a two-day outbreak of fighting.
The Israeli military said it had beefed up its troop presence along the border with the Gaza Strip and completed preparations for possible renewal of hostilities.
The army said issued a video showing soldiers massing near the border and performing urban combat drills.
“If we need a broader operation, we will enter it strong and confident, and after we have exhausted all other options,” Netanyahu said.
Earlier this week, Israel carried out retaliatory airstrikes against Hamas after a rocket fired from Gaza destroyed a house north of Tel Aviv and wounded seven Israelis. Palestinian militants responded with rocket barrages in some of the most intense fighting since a 2014 war. A fragile calm has held since early Wednesday.
In the midst of the negotiations, the Israeli military said its planes bombed a group of Palestinians who had launched incendiary balloons from Gaza into Israel. The Gaza health ministry confirmed three Palestinians were wounded in the bombing.