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　　Three weeks after the end of the war in the Gaza Strip, there are reports of progress on a long-term cease-fire.
加沙地带战事结束三个星期后，媒体报导说长期停火协议取得了进展。
Israel's Cabinet discussed a three-stage Gaza truce¹ proposal mediated² by Egypt. It includes an 18-month cease-fire and a prisoner swap³ for a captive Israeli soldier held for more than two years by the Islamic militant⁴ group Hamas that rules Gaza. Israel and Egypt would open at least two border crossings into Gaza, easing a crippling blockade.
以色列内阁讨论了埃及斡旋的三阶段加沙停火建议，包括18个月的停火，以及交换战俘，让被统治加沙的伊斯兰激进组织哈马斯关押了两年多的一名以色列士兵返回以色列。以色列和埃及将开放通往加沙的至少两个过境点，缓解导致严重后果的过境点的封锁。
Israel has signaled that is now prepared to pay a higher price for the captive soldier, Gilad Shalit.
以色列表示，愿意为被俘的以色列士兵沙利特付出更高的代价。
"The effort to free Gilad Shalit is a supreme⁵ effort," said Defense⁶ Minister Ehud Barak.
国防部长巴拉克说：“我要尽最大的努力让沙利特获释。”
Israeli and Arab media reports say Israel is willing to trade Shalit for a thousand Palestinian prisoners, including top militants⁷ responsible for deadly suicide bombings.
But Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denied it.
但是以色列总理奥尔默特对此予以否认。
These reports are "exaggerated and harmful," Mr. Olmert said, adding that when there is a deal he will reveal it to the public.
奥尔默特说，这些报导是“夸张和有害的”。他说，一旦达成协议，将向公众公布。
A Hamas delegation⁸, led by a top Gaza official, is in Egypt for talks on a long-term cease-fire with Israel.
加沙一位高级官员率领的一个哈马斯代表团抵达埃及，举行有关同以色列长期停火的谈判。
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar was asked by reporters if there has been progress on a prisoner exchange.
有记者问哈马斯高级官员哈茂德.扎哈尔，是否在战俘交换问题上已经取得任何进展。
He responded that all the reports on the possible release of Shalit were part of what he called "Israeli election propaganda."
他回答说，所有有关沙利特可能获释的报导，都是他所说的“以色列选举宣传”的一部分。
National elections take place on Tuesday, and movement on a prisoner swap could boost the chances of two candidates for prime minister, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
以色列全国大选将于星期二举行，有关战俘交换的进展可能会提升外交部长利夫尼和国防部长巴拉克这两位总理候选人获胜的机率。
Final polls show both of them trailing hawkish⁹ former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Livni running a close second and Barak a distant third. Livni and Barak support the creation of a Palestinian state; Netanyahu does not.
最新的民调显示，这两位候选人都落后于鹰派、前总理内塔尼亚胡，外交部长利夫尼紧随其后，巴拉克位于第三。利夫尼和巴拉克支持建立一个巴勒斯坦国，但是内塔尼亚胡则表示反对。