No amendments to Gaza truce proposal: Egypt FM
Egypt's foreign minister says original ceasefire is 'complete' and won't
bend to Hamas' demands, while UN chief calls for end to Israeli blockade
Ahram Online , Monday 21 Jul 2014
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/106793/Egypt/Politics-/No-amendments-to-Gaza-truce-proposal-Egypt-FM.aspx

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a joint press conference with
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Cairo that a truce between
Palestinians and Israelis proposed by Egypt and rejected by Hamas last week
will not be amended.

Reuters had previously quoted three Egyptian officials saying Egypt may be
ready to accommodate some of Hamas' demands, which include lifting the
Israeli blockade on Gaza and opening Egypt's Rafah border crossing with
Gaza.

Shoukry denied there were intentions to make amendments in order to bring
Hamas to the negotiating table, said a reporter with Al-Ahram's Arabic news
website who was at the conference on Monday.

The foreign minister insisted Egypt's proposal provides a "complete" truce,
saying it will ease the blockade on Gaza.

Gaza-rulers Hamas rejected the proposal on Wednesday, claiming they hadn't
been approached directly, like Israel, and had instead heard about the
ceasefire bid through the media.

The mounting death toll from Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza has
reached nearly 600 since fighting first broke out on 8 July. Twenty-six
Israeli soldiers have been killed by Palestinian fighters since an Israeli
ground invasion into Gaza began on Thursday.

Ki-moon said the UN is willing to make successful negotiations between the
conflicting parties and called for a halt in hostilities to allow for aid to
be transported to Gaza and urged the lifting of Israeli's blockade of the
besieged coastal enclave.

For his part, Shoukry responded to criticism Egypt that has kept the Rafah
border closed despite the crisis, saying it has opened the crossing in spite
of national security threats, according to Al-Ahram.

Egypt has opened the border intermittently to allow tens of wounded
Palestinians inside Egypt for treatment. Thousands have been injured in the
Israeli bombardment and Gaza's hospitals are filled to capacity, according
to medics.

On Monday, Egypt allowed four wounded Palestinians to pass through the
border.

Egypt's state news agency MENA reported that the border will open on Tuesday
to allow critical cases to seek medical treatment in Egypt.