Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak's office announced Sunday that Israel will reopen the goods crossings with the Gaza Strip should Gazan militants hold fire for 24 consecutive hours, local news service Ynet reported.
Israeli officials were quoted as saying that Barak will consult with senior military and security officials before opening the border, which has largely been sealed off since clashes resumed early this month between Israeli forces and militants in the Hamas-ruled enclave.
Hamas said earlier in the day that it had accepted an official ceasefire proposal from Israel, which it said was relayed via Egypt, the mediator that brokered a truce deal between the two sides in June, the report added.
The border closure, which has cut off goods supplies into the impoverished strip, has given a heavy blow to the living of the some 1.5 million residents, Palestinian and UN officials said.
The sole power plant in Gaza has been forced to shut down due to fuel shortage and an UN relief agency once had to suspend food distribution for the tens of thousands of refugees.
Meanwhile, the Jewish state continues to deny reports that the Palestinian territory is in a humanitarian crisis.
Last week, Israel allowed a limited amount of fuel and a batch of other basic goods into the strip, and its caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised to prevent a humanitarian crisis from developing in Gaza.
"We are permitting the transfer of food, medicine and humanitarian aid so as not to harm the civilian population in Gaza, " an official was quoted as saying.
"The opening of the crossings is dependent on Hamas and the terror groups, who are responsible for the civilian population," the official added.
The recent flare-up has triggered worries that the Egypt- brokered truce might collapse before its first phase of six months expires.
(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2008)
