Indications of Hamas-Israel truce ‘soon’, says Egypt president

In this Friday, July 13, 2012 file photo, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi speaks to reporters during a joint news conference with Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, unseen, at the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt’s Islamist president may hail from the fiercely anti-Israeli Muslim Brotherhood, but in his first major crisis over Israel, he is behaving much like his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak:. He recalled the ambassador and engaged in empty rhetoric supporting Palestinians. Mohammed Morsi is under pressure at home to do more but he is just as wary as Mubarak about straining ties with the United States. AP FILE PHOTO/Maya Alleruzzo

CAIRO – Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi said on Saturday his government was in touch with both Israelis and Palestinians and there were indications they could “soon” reach a truce, but there were no guarantees.

“There are some indications that there could be a ceasefire soon,” Morsi said at a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adding that there were still “no guarantees.”

He said his country’s government was in “vigorous” communications with both the Palestinians and Israel.

A senior Hamas official had earlier told AFP his movement was reluctant to agree a truce because it doubted the terms of the ceasefire could be guaranteed.