The pan-Arab daily Ash-Sharq al-Awsat said Damascus-based Mussa Abu Marzuk had informed Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman that his group is "ready for a total ceasefire if Israel publicly commits itself to stopping every kind of aggression against the Palestinian people".
Marzuk, on a visit to Cairo, said it is "important that Israel be a partner" in a ceasefire agreement, stressing that a unilateral truce is worthless.
Hamas' understanding of Israeli "aggression" includes "assassination operations, incursions and house demolitions," said Marzuk.
The paper said Hamas is also demanding international guarantees but did not provide further details.
But one of Hamas' top political leaders in the Gaza Strip, Abdelaziz al-Rantissi, ruled out a formal truce Sunday, saying his group may only consider freezing attacks against Israeli civilians.
"It is possible that Hamas will propose during a meeting with Abu Alaa (Palestinian premier Ahmed Qorei) continuing the resistance but sparing civilians from both sides from the horrors of war," said Rantissi.
"We cannot talk about a truce while the Israeli aggression continues," he added.
Citing Palestinian sources, the paper said "Cairo is silently working to achieve a new truce, (and) is in touch with the US administration and the Israeli government".
It said Egypt's efforts had received "American support".
"Egypt has informed the Americans and the Israelis that a truce, whatever is nature may be, will have no value unless Israel also observes it," the paper said.
Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups unilaterally suspended anti-Israeli attacks for a three to six-month period last June on the condition that Israel stop assassinating their leaders, end incursions into the West Bank and Gaza and releases all Palestinian prisoners.
The truce, which Egypt had helped achieve by mediating between armed groups and Palestinian officials, held for only seven weeks.
Since he took office last month, Qorei has said one of his government's top priorities was to achieve a ceasefire with Israel.
He said last week he was ready for talks with Hamas and its smaller rival, Islamic Jihad, in Gaza. – Sapa-AFP.
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