Israel said its Gaza offensive could be in the final act on Friday and sent envoys to discuss truce terms after Hamas made a ceasefire offer to end three weeks of fighting that has killed more than 1,100 Palestinians. However,Israel rejected at least two major elements of the ceasefire terms outlined by the Islamist movement,and fighting continued,albeit with less intensity than on Thursday. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,continuing his tour of the region,again said he expected a ceasefire deal within days,but urged Israel to stop firing immediately. It is time now to even think about a unilateral ceasefire, he said in Ramallah. At least five rockets landed in Israel from Gaza,the army said. Israeli air strikes killed four Palestinians,three of them guerrillas and one a civilian,medics and militants said. Hopefully were in the final act, Prime Minister Ehud Olmerts spokesman Mark Regev said,adding that briefings by the envoys working in Washington and Cairo on Friday could be followed by swift decisions by the security cabinet. According to Hamas and diplomatic sources on Thursday,the Islamist group demanded: • A full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip in 5 to 7 days. Once that happens,Hamas will abide by a year-long ceasefire that could be renewed after that. • Israels immediate opening of all the Gaza Strips border crossings,with both Israel and Egypt. Hamas demanded that Egypt and the international community provide guarantees that Israel will keep the crossings open. • A reconstruction conference for the Gaza Strip. • Opening the Rafah border terminal between Gaza and Egypt. But Hamas objected to the presence at Rafah of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass presidential guard. That unit was given a role at Rafah by a US-brokered agreement in 2005,when Israel pulled out its occupying force from Gaza after 38 years. • International support for compensation for war damages. • Hamas also told Egypt it was open to the deployment of Turkish truce monitors.
