Israel sets conditions for Gaza truce

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert asked Egypt's intelligence chief on Monday to tell Gaza militants a truce would be conditional upon progress being made towards freeing a captive Israeli soldier.
Olmert also asked Omar Suleiman to tell the Palestinian armed factions they would have to stop smuggling arms into Gaza if they want Israel to accept the Egyptian-brokered proposals to halt the violence in the besieged territory.
Suleiman was in Israel to seek the support of the country's leadership for the truce plan, which already has Palestinian backing.
In his talks with the Egyptian official, Olmert linked any truce to "progress in the negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit," captured by Gaza militants in a 2006 cross-border raid, a senior Israeli official said.
"The prime minister asked Suleiman to obtain the response of the Palestinian factions to the conditions," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Unless he receives a positive response, Olmert will not convene his powerful security cabinet to discuss and vote on a truce.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak earlier met Suleiman at his Tel Aviv residence and said Israel would respond to any attack from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
"Barak made it clear that Israel will be unable to tolerate the continuing terror activity and fire from the Gaza Strip, and gave his assessment that Israel will have to launch a broad operation in Gaza if the rocket and mortar fire does not end," Barak's office said in a statement after the meeting.
He too linked any truce to progress in the negotiations for the release of the Israeli serviceman.
"Israel sees the release of Gilad Shalit and immediate progress in the negotiations on his release as a key component in normalising the security situation in the Gaza Strip," the statement said.