Since Israel implemented a unilateral ceasefire that ended a 22-day military operation in Gaza Strip on January 18, Egypt has been engaged in a new round of mediation talks with the Palestinians, Israel and international parties concerned for a durable truce in the Palestinian enclave.

On Thursday, head of the Diplomatic-Security Bureau of Israeli Defense Ministry Amos Gilad visited Cairo to discuss with Egyptian mediators on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

During his lightning visit to Egypt, Gilad held talks with a number of Egyptian senior officials on maintaining the Gaza ceasefire.

Three days after the Israeli official's visit to Cairo, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman held talks on Sunday with a visiting delegation of the Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement on means of consolidating the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

The two sides discussed "the efforts exerted by Egypt to shore up the Gaza ceasefire, end the blockade on Gaza and resume the Palestinian national dialogue."

As of Sunday, Egypt also launched talks with various Palestinian factions for a lasting truce in Gaza and an inter-Palestinian reconciliation.

Egyptian mediators on Tuesday met with visiting representatives of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement for talks on a durable ceasefire in Gaza Strip and an inter-Palestinian reconciliation dialogue.

Ziyad al-Nakhala, Jihad's deputy secretary general and head of the delegation, said that Suleiman briefed them on the current Egyptian contacts and efforts in this regard.

Later on Tuesday, Suleiman, who is in charge of the mediation talks between Palestinian groups and Israel, also had a similar meeting with a delegation of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Earlier on Monday, Suleiman held talks with a delegation of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), who agreed on a truce with Israel to start on Feb. 5.

On the international arena, Egyptian leaders had a series of talks with a number of visiting senior officials of the European Union (EU), the international Quartet and the United States on the Palestinian issue, particularly the Gaza ceasefire.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Tuesday voiced his hope that a lasting truce between Israel and Palestinian militant groups could be reached in early February.

At a joint press conference with visiting EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Abul Gheit said "a lasting ceasefire could be reached during the first week of February, leading up to the opening of crossings (of the Gaza Strip)."

As for the inter-Palestinian unity, Abul Gheit said he hopes a Palestinian reconciliation agreement "would be reached during the third week of February."

According to earlier reports, Egypt has proposed to start a "lasting" truce between Israel and Palestinian militant groups as of Feb. 5 and resume the inter-Palestinian national unity dialogue on Feb. 22.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell and International Quartet's envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair also arrive in Cairo for talks with Egyptian leaders on the Gaza ceasefire.

Following talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday, Mitchell said that "It is of critical importance that the ceasefire (in Gaza) be extended and consolidated."

Mitchell, who voiced appreciation to the Egyptian mediation efforts to help reach the Gaza ceasefire, said the U.S. administration is fully committed to pursuing the efforts to help reach lasting peace and stability in the region.

It's a strong signal that the U.S. administration is committed to the Mideast peace as Obama delegated Mitchell as his envoy to the Middle East one week after assuming office, said Mitchell, who is in his first trip to the Middle East as Obama's special envoy.

Blair said Wednesday that the international Quartet, grouping the UN, the EU, Russia and the United States, is "strongly" supporting the ongoing Egyptian efforts to consolidate a ceasefire in Gaza.

It's the most important move to stabilize the fragile truce in Gaza, where some 1,400 Palestinians were reportedly killed and 5,500 others wounded in the Israeli attacks, said Blair, who also held talks with Mubarak on Wednesday.

Blair stressed that it's important to maintain the ceasefire in order to implement an Egyptian initiative, which also calls for reopening the crossings, lifting the Israeli siege on Gaza and reaching inter-Palestinian reconciliation.

A senior leader of the Palestinian Fatah movement said Wednesday that most Palestinian factions that had talks with Egyptian mediators have agreed to put a truce with Israel into effect as of Feb. 5.

All factions, except Hamas and Jihad, that had talks recently with Suleiman, voiced their approval on the truce proposal, said Azzam al-Ahmad, a Fatah leader and head of the Fatah delegation for talks with Egyptian officials.

The Palestinian factions also agreed to start an Egyptian-Palestinian dialogue on Feb. 22, al-Ahmad said.

However, eight Palestinian factions based in Syria refused on Wednesday to sign a truce before Israel lift blockade on Gaza, said a statement after their meeting in Damascus.

According to earlier reports, Egypt has also offered to host an international conference gathering all donor countries on Feb. 28 for the rebuilding of Gaza.

In the following days, Egypt is expected to have more talks with parties concerned, particular Palestinian factions, for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and Palestinian national unity.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2009)