January 08, 2009	Thursday	Muharram 10, 1430

CAIRO, Jan 7: Peace brokers proclaimed a breakthrough on Wednesday in efforts to halt the Gaza conflict as Israel warmed to a Franco-Egyptian initiative and Russia pressed for a diplomatic solution in talks with Hamas.

Israel stopped short of saying whether the plan floated late on Tuesday by the presidents of Egypt and France after a summit by the Red Sea would be accepted as a basis on which to end its 12-day-old campaign in Gaza.

However, its chief spokesman said Israel viewed the initiative positively, prompting French President Nicolas Sarkozy to hail its “acceptance” by Israel and the moderate head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmud Abbas, to say he was willing to go to Egypt for more talks.

Hamas’ two-man delegation of Emad Al Alami and Mohammed Nasr left Cairo for Damascus to report on their discussions with Egyptian officials, including intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.

Hamas’ politburo chief Khaled Meshaal was also quoted as expressing a “readiness to take part in such a solution to the conflict” after talks with a Russian envoy.

The Israeli military called a three-hour halt to its bombing of Gaza in the afternoon to allow aid to reach the territory, prompting Hamas fighters to also hold their fire. Israel said it would now implement three-hour lull in fighting daily to facilitate a flow of aid.

“We are pleased by and wish to commend the statement of … the president of Egypt and to follow up on that initiative,” US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told an emergency UN Security Council session in New York.

However, Ms Rice’s deputy spokesman Robert Wood told reporters in Washington: “We’re looking at other ideas to see what we can do to be ... effective, in terms of resolving this conflict.”—Agencies