IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi spoke before the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday and said that while the IDF is giving the ceasefire between Israel and the militant groups in Gaza a chance, it will continue preparing for an operation in the Gaza Strip.

A senior IDF officer who attended the meeting added that any truce achieved in Gaza will be "temporary and fragile."

 Speaking about the Palestinian Authority's efforts in the West Bank, Ashkenazi noted that "the Palestinian security services are doing their job when in comes to policing, but not when it comes to security."

 Roee Nahmias contributed to this report

The London based, Arab-language newspaper Al-Hayat reported Tuesday that the future truce between Israel and the militant groups in Gaza will include three stages: First, a six-month truce will be declared in Gaza Strip. Three days after the truce is announced, Israel will open the Karni and Sufa crossings.

 Second: The week after, Israel will left the ban places on many of the raw materials needed in the Strip, with the exception of several materials believed to be of use for rockets and launchers manufacturing, such as metal pipes and certain chemicals.

 
Thirds and yet a week after that, a meeting will be called to discuss the operating procedures of the Rafah crossing, between Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Should the ceasefire prevail, in six months time it will be made to include the West Bank, noted the report. It made no mention of whether Gilad Shalit's release was part of the ceasefire agreement.