Egypt advances Mideast peace talks

CAIRO, April 19 (UPI) -- Egypt's foreign minister says his country is having success bringing forward a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Egypt's government is trying to get Israel and Hamas to come to an agreement on a "period of quiet," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.

"Hamas wants to call it a period of quiet. That suits the Israelis because they do not want to reach a signed, written agreement with Hamas," he told the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.

Egypt's peace plan has three main factors, the first being that Hamas must cease firing at Israel and Israel must say it will stop "targeted killings, assassinations or what have you," Gheit said.

The second factor is that imprisoned Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit would be exchanged for 400 Palestinians detained in Israel, The Jerusalem Post reported Friday.

The third factor reportedly is permitting the opening of border crossings between Israel and Gaza.