A senior aide to the Hamas chief in the Gaza Strip said in an interview published Sunday that the group was prepared to reach a truce with Israel if it stops its military campaign against Gaza militants and opens crossings into the impoverished, isolated territory. The comments by Ahmed Youssef, aide to Hamas' Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh, as reported by the Palestinian 'Maan' news agency, were the latest by Hamas officials in support of a cease-fire. «We don't object to a truce that ends the siege, but it should not be given gratis, and will not be open-ended,» Maan quoted Youssef as saying. Israel must stop its military strikes and ease the humanitarian situation in Gaza by opening crossings, he said. Israeli defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic, say the government is examining the Hamas truce offer.
