Gaza truce talks to continue

An Israeli delegation was expected to fly back to Cairo on Tuesday to continue the indirect negotiations being mediated by Egyptian officials. The Egyptian team on Monday met with both sides, relaying their positions to the other, as Israel refuses to sit in the same room with the Palestinian delegation, as it includes members of Hamas, which it regards as a terrorist organization.

While no breakthrough was reported on Monday, all three parties to the negotiations did agree on the need to reach a more permanent truce as a matter of urgency.

Egypt called on the two sides to take advantage of the latest short-term lull in hostilities to reach a "comprehensive and permanent ceasefire."

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the current round of negotiations would be the "last chance" for an agreement.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz, meanwhile warned that in the absence of a deal, the Jewish state could send troops back into the Gaza Strip.

"Either there will be a reasonable resolution of the situation in Gaza, or, if the fire resumes, we will have to consider a broadening of the operation, including an expansion on the ground, overthrowing the Hamas authorities and the demilitarization of Gaza by ourselves," Steinitz told army radio.

UN commission of inquiry

Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday appointed a commission to investigate alleged violations by both sides during Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The council named Canadian law professor William Schabas and Senegalese humans rights lawyer Doudou Diene to the commission, along with British-Lebanese lawyer Amal Alamuddin. However, later on Monday, Alamuddin denied having accepted the appointment.

"I am honored to have received the offer, but given existing commitments - including eight ongoing cases - unfortunately could not accept this role," Alamuddin said in a statement.

There was no immediate word on who would replace her on the commission.

The pro-Israel group UN Watch has called on Schabas to turn down the post as well, saying that he had previously made statements critical of Israel.

Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has called on the international community to hold both sides accountable for possible war crimes. Israel had attacked homes, schools, hospitals, Gaza's only power plant and UN premises in apparent violation of the Geneva Conventions, said Pillay, a former war crimes judge.

Israel's month-long assault claimed the lives of 1,900 people, 75 percent of them civilians, according to the UN.

Ground combat within Gaza left 64 Israeli soldiers dead. Three civilians in Israel died as a result of rockets fired from Gaza by militants.

pfd/kms (AP, Reuters, dpa, AFP)