Truce to bring gradual relief to Gaza: officials

By Adam Entous

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Egyptian-mediated truce that appears likely between Israel and Hamas will begin with only a gradual and partial easing of an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, officials said on Tuesday.

"If Hamas keeps the ceasefire, we can gradually deliver more goods and supplies," an Israeli official said.

But he said any commitment to a particular level of supplies into the Gaza Strip would be kept "vague on purpose".

A Palestinian official familiar with Egypt's efforts to broker a truce said a six-month agreement would be announced within a few days. Hamas said on Monday a deal was within sight.

Israel tightened restrictions at its border crossings with the Gaza Strip after Hamas Islamists seized control of the territory in fighting a year ago against the Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In pursuing a deal that would end rocket and mortar bomb strikes against southern Israel and Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip, Hamas has sought a reopening of crossings, including at the southern Rafah frontier with Egypt.

The Israeli official said Rafah could reopen only if there was "significant progress" towards the release of a captured Israeli soldier. Israel controls access to the border terminal by European monitors who oversee its operation

"No shooting won't be enough to reopen Rafah. Progress on Gilad Shalit is required," he said, referring to the soldier held by Gaza militants since 2006.