Israel Weighs Cease Fire

In a sign the fighting in Gaza may soon came to an end, Israel’s security cabinet is meeting Saturday night to vote on a cease fire. Under the Egyptian plan, fighting would stop for 10 days while Israeli forces stay in Gaza and border crossings remain closed in order to assure Hamas does not rearm. News of the impending vote comes on the heals of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s final diplomatic accomplishment today—signing a deal in Washington with Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni that pledges the United States will help stop weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip. Though Hamas has publically rejected the terms of the cease fire negotiators for the group were in touch with mediators in Cairo and signaled that they were ready to bring fighting to an end.