Hamas offers to study fresh Gaza truce with Israel

Egyptian officials provided few details about what might be discussed on Thursday. "The Egyptians want to raise the whole question of the truce and to prevent Israel from invading Gaza," said one Israeli official.

Raed Fattouh, coordinator of supplies for Gaza, told Reuters that Israel informed him it would open two crossings on Wednesday to allow in humanitarian aid and commercial goods.

An Israeli military liaison, Peter Lerner, confirmed the plan and said a third border depot would also open so that household and industrial fuels could be brought into Gaza.

Aides to Olmert have said Israel was prepared to meet its commitments under the ceasefire, but only if Hamas imposed the ceasefire on all of Gaza's militant factions.

And it was unclear to what degree Israel might guarantee opening the border since that could limit its options in future.

Israel blamed Hamas for the truce's collapse, saying the crossings were frequently closed in response to rocket attacks -- which usually cause little damage -- and other threats.

Though Israeli defense officials had threatened to start targeting a wider range of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, Olmert and Defence Minister Ehud Barak have been cool to calls from some hawks for a large-scale ground offensive.

Such an operation could result in heavy casualties on both sides, fuel a major humanitarian crisis and spark an international outcry against Israel.

Likewise, Barhoum, while holding out hope of renewing the truce, derided Israeli talk of an extension as misinformation aimed at "throwing dust in our eyes." He said: "The region is heading toward an escalation, not calm."

Livni has vowed to make toppling Hamas a top priority for her government if she gets elected on February 10. Her main rival for the premiership, right-wing Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, has made a similar pledge.

(Writing by Adam Entous; Editing by Giles Elgood)