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Hamas deputy leader Moussa Abu Marzouk said on Thursday that his organization supports an 18-month truce with Israel, though it would not be linked to a prisoner exchange deal to free kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit.Reuters quoted Abu Marzouk as saying that the Egypt-mediated truce would be announced in the coming two or three days. "It will be in a short period, God willing…within two days," he said.Abu Marzouk, in Cairo for truce talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, told Al-Jazeera that Hamas was waiting for Israel to approve the details of the emerging agreement.Taher Nunu, another member of the Hamas delegation in Egypt, also said the cease-fire would be officially announced within three days."Most of the obstacles preventing us from consolidating an agreement have already been solved," Nunu said, adding that the agreement would ensure an end to the fighting with Israel and the opening of the crossings into Gaza.Earlier, a senior Egyptian official said "the discussions with Hamas representatives in Cairo were very successful" and an agreement would be signed as early as Thursday night.The delegation also included Hamas "Foreign Minister" Mahmoud Zahar and Gaza legislator Salah Bardawil, an Egyptian official said.Hamas would accept an 18-month truce if Israel stopped its "aggression," i.e. attacks, lifted its blockade and opened the Israeli border crossings with the Gaza Strip, the official said earlier Thursday. Hamas was trying to find out which specific construction and agricultural materials Israel plans to bar from entering the Gaza Strip. Israel is concerned the raw materials will be used to manufacture weapons and bunkers.In addition, Hamas is interested in securing a written agreement with Israel, while Israel wants an oral agreement.The delegation "has decided to stay until the Egyptian side gets answers from the Israelis about all their questions and demands," he said.Hamas also wants to establish a mechanism to observe the implementation of an agreement that would be headed by Egypt and include the participation of other countries,the official said.Hamas officials have told the Arab media they want to ensure that Israel will keep the crossings open throughout the duration of the truce.A senior Hamas official in Gaza said on Thursday that he was optimistic that a cease-fire would be achieved regardless of whether Kadima leader Tzipi Livni or Likud head Binyamin Netanyahu led the next government."The international community is putting some pressure on both Israel and Hamas and the Egyptians are also trying to do their best to make sure that both parties will agree to certain terms of a cease-fire," Ahmed Yousef, Hamas's "deputy foreign minister," told The Jerusalem Post by telephone."I don't think that the Israelis will challenge the world community when it comes to opening the crossings and rebuilding Gaza," Yousef said.But he also said that he did not think that Livni and Netanyahu "have any vision for peace.""They have an ethnic-cleansing mentality," he said....By BRENDA GAZZAR AND HERB KEINON
As in the days of Noah....
