Israel's cabinet is meeting on Wednesday morning to debate a French proposal for a 48-hour "humanitarian" ceasefire in the missiles-battered Gaza Strip, local daily Ha'aretz reported.
According to the report, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak failed to reach a decision at a late night meeting on Tuesday.
During the ongoing meeting, ministers are expected to discuss whether to expand the operation, which has seen Israeli warplanes bombarding the Hamas-ruled enclave since Saturday.
In talks with Olmert and Livni on Tuesday, Barak recommended seeking an exit from the battle within the next few days, and favored the France-proposed 48-hour truce that would be used to provide humanitarian assistance for the 1.5 million Gaza residents and meanwhile to examine Hamas' willingness to agree on a long-term ceasefire, said the report.
However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday denied reports that the Israeli defense establishment would recommend a 48-hour truce with Hamas. Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said in a statement that the IDF was not behind the move.
Meanwhile, Olmert and Livni were also reportedly less enthusiastic. An aide of Olmert was quoted as saying that "Gaza is not undergoing a humanitarian crisis... and there's no need for a humanitarian cease-fire."
During a visit to the IDF Southern Command on Tuesday, Olmert received calls from most of the senior officers asking him to authorize a ground operation, and sources at the meeting reportedly said their impression was that Olmert agreed.
Also on Tuesday, the fourth day of the ongoing operation which has so far killed over 380 and injured over 1,600 in the Palestinian territory, the Israeli army completed preparations for a possible ground incursion, with infantry troops and armored units waiting along the border.
Despite Israel's devastating air raids, which the Israeli army said have given Hamas a serious blow, Gazan militants continued firing rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel in the past four days, which has caused four deaths and over a dozen injuries on the Israeli side.
Israeli leaders have said that ground maneuvers would be carried out if necessary and that the Jewish state will not cease the offensive until security is restored to its southern land.
Meanwhile, Barak is requesting ministers to greenlight a call-up of another 2,500 reserve forces soldiers, who would add to the 6,700 reservists mobilized earlier this week.
Source: Xinhua
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