Israel will consider a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if Gaza ruler Hamas can restrain Islamic Jihad and other smaller militant groups from attacking the Jewish state, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported on Sunday.
Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups are due to meet in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss a truce deal with Israel, the report quoted Israeli security officials as saying, adding if Hamas cannot control the smaller groups, first and foremost Islamic Jihad, there will not be much point to the agreement.
Without completely restraining the smaller groups, the firing of Qassam rockets from the coastal strip, taken over by Hamas last June, will soon resume as in the past, the officials said.
Hamas on Thursday agreed to a conditional six-month truce in the Gaza Strip.
On Friday, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister's Office, David Baker, said the Islamic movement was "not serious" and "trying to buy time in order to rearm and regroup."
However, the spokesman's remarks did not pass through Egypt, which has been leading efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between armed Palestinian groups and Israel.
The ceasefire agreement under discussion would be between Hamas and Egypt, with Israel not being an official party. If a deal is reached, Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, may soon visit Israel, after postponing several trips to Israel in recent months.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is supporting Cairo's mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel.