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Hamas observed an agreed upon 24-hour truce halting rocket fire against Israel in exchange for Egyptian aid to the Gaza strip. Under an ever tightening siege, the Palestinian territory planned to receive the aid convoy from its neighboring Arab country yesterday bringing desperately needed rice, flour and medical supplies to its 1.5 million residents. In continued mediation, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has invited Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to Cairo on Thursday for talks regarding Gaza and security. With the temporary 24-hour truce now expired, a Hamas senior official has said that his government would consider a lasting truce if and only if Israel agreed to lift the siege. Possible future actions in Gaza will most certainly be a political consideration for Israeli politicians such as Livni, Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu, seeking to become Prime Minister in the upcoming February 10th elections. Meanwhile, the Free Gaza Movement is continuing to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. An international boat named “the Dignity,” arrived in the Palestinian territory with members of the Eid Charity from Qatar interested in bringing supplies to the people. The Dignity will reportedly leave today with the Qatari charity workers as well as four Palestinians who are citizens of other countries but who had been so far unable to leave.

GUEST: Moinr Deeb, a Palestinian American born and raised in Gaza, one of the organizers of the free gaza movement. For more information, visit www.freegaza.org.