VIDEO - Senior Defense Ministry Official Amos Gilad told Egyptian officials in Cairo Wednesday that Israel was willing to resume the ceasefire with the armed Palestinian factions in Gaza. Video courtesy of Infolive.tv Gilad, who is currently heading Israel's indirect negotiations with the Palestinian groups in the Hamas-controlled territory, further told Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman that was prepared to extend the truce beyond December 19 end-date. Gilad's monthly visit was defined by the Defense Ministry as "routine", but officials said it would have been called off had Israel not been interested in resuming the ceasefire. The negotiator told the Egyptians that as far as Israel was concerned the latest round of violence, which included an IDF raid to destroy a tunnel that was meant to be used in a terror attack on Israel and numerous Palestinian rocket barrages on the western Negev, was over. Gilad stressed that Israel would reopen the Gaza goods crossings once the Qassam rocket fire emanating from Gaza ceases, adding that dozens of trucks carrying humanitarian aid were allowed to enter the Strip on Wednesday. During the meeting the Israeli defense official praised Egypt's efforts to reduce the smuggling of arms into Gaza. Meanwhile it was reported that Hamas figures have refused to travel to Cairo to discuss a possible unity government with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction for fear that Egypt and Israel were trying to lay the groundwork for the return of Fatah to Gaza.