Egypt postpones February 22 Palestinian reconciliation conference

A Palestinian reconciliation conference scheduled for next week in Cairo has been postponed, Egypt's national news agency reported Wednesday. The announcement came hours after Israel set a series of tough conditions for accepting a proposed cease-fire with Hamas - a major setback to Egypt's efforts at ending the Gaza crisis. MENA reported that the February 22 conference was postponed "for a while" as more consultations were needed. No further details were given. Egypt is trying to broker two key agreements in the region. One is a long-term truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas leaders after Israel's offensive in Gaza. The other is a reconciliation agreement between rival Palestinian factions - mainly Hamas and Fatah, which controls the West Bank.