Israel to Ease Gaza Blockade In Three Days If Truce Holds

Jerusalem — Israel said it will ease its economic blockade of the Gaza Strip in three days if a cease-fire with Hamas that went into effect today holds.

Prime Minister Olmert will go to Egypt June 24 for talks with President Mubarak, whose aides brokered the truce. Israel will keep the frontier shut unless Hamas releases its captive soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, a government spokesman said.

"If the calm holds, you will see the start of a process of liberalization in the economic sanctions at the very beginning of next week," an Olmert spokesman, Mark Regev, said. He added, "There will be no normalization of the crossings unless Gilad Shalit is freed."

Both sides expressed skepticism that their agreement would last, with Mr. Olmert describing it on Wednesday as fragile. Gaza was mostly quiet since the Egyptian-mediated cease-fire started at 6 a.m., according to the Israeli army and Hamas officials. Mr. Olmert's talks with Mr. Mubarak will center on disputes over border crossings and prisoners. About an hour before the cease-fire, Israeli aircraft killed a Palestinian Arab who was preparing to launch a rocket over the border, according to the army and the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry.

A Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, told reporters Friday the movement will adhere to the cease-fire terms. Business owners expressed disappointment it will probably take until next week before Israel allows required amounts of fuel and other supplies into the territory. Hamas leaders earlier said it would take a few hours after the truce takes effect.

"We hope that by Sunday we'll receive the normal amounts of diesel and petrol," a deputy president of the union of gas stations in Gaza, Mahmoud al-Khozendar, said in an interview.

Commercial restrictions on Gaza and a corruption probe into Mr. Olmert led to the cease-fire, but there's little likelihood of a settlement between Israel and a movement sworn to its destruction, a political scientist at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Gerald Steinberg, said.

"Hamas is gambling that it can strengthen itself for another round six months or a year from now," Mr. Steinberg said. "Olmert is gambling he can save his government."

The cease-fire was agreed upon after months of indirect talks with Egyptian mediators between Israel and Hamas, which seized control of Gaza a year ago after sharing power with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority.