The vice president of the political wing of the Palestinian movement Hamas said Friday that the Israeli reply to the Egyptian proposal for a truce is not enough. Moussa Abu Marzouq told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the reply sent through Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman does not meet the radical Islamic movement's demands, especially concerning opening the border. 'Opening the border should not be related to the proposed truce,' he told dpa. 'The border should be opened whether Israel accepts or refuses the truce,' Abu Marzouq said.
He denied that talks with Egypt did not succeed. 'We received the reply sent with Omar Suleiman. We have sent back some questions and are waiting for their answers,' the vice president said.
Israel has accepted in principle the Egyptian proposals for a truce with Hamas on Thursday.
Israel wants any truce deal to include the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants in June 2006, as part of an exchange of prisoners with the Palestinians.
The link between a ceasefire and the release of Shalit is not part of the Palestinian offer, a source of the Damascus-based group said earlier. Negotiations for Shalit's release, the source explained, involve international mediation, including British efforts. The negotiations have gone a long way, but constitute a separate track, the source said.