Senior officials from Israel and Egypt will hold negotiations today on the details of a ceasefire initiative aimed at ending Israel's 12-day offensive against the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

In the first sign that Israel might be yielding to mounting international pressure, an Israeli delegation is due in Cairo to discuss a French-backed Egyptian initiative that calls for a temporary ceasefire followed by talks on how to control the Gaza-Egypt border and prevent Hamas from re-arming, as well as how to achieve reconciliation among rival Palestinian factions.