(Adds Livni's tentative schedule, paragraph 3) JERUSALEM, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni headed to Washington late on Thursday to finalize an accord designed to prevent Hamas from rearming, a key Israeli condition for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert authorized this evening the trip of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to the United States in order to promote an American-Israeli outlined agreement intended to deal with weapons smuggling," Olmert's office said in a statement. Israeli officials said Livni was tentatively scheduled to arrive in Washington at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT) and would meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the State Department at 11 a.m. (1600 GMT). The statement made no mention of a proposal by Hamas, relayed by Egypt, for a yearlong cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. A spokesman for Olmert also declined to comment on any cease-fire proposal. Hamas told Egypt it would agree to a yearlong renewable cease-fire if Israel pulls out all its forces within five to seven days and reopens border crossings immediately, Hamas and diplomatic sources said. (Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Activists shout anti-Israeli slogans in front of the de facto Israeli embassy in Taipei January 16, 2009 during a protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza. Israel unleashed its heaviest shelling of ...
