Gaza’s Hamas rulers said yesterday they had agreed to a ceasefire with Israel to end the largest flare-up of violence between the sides since a 2014 war.
Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said Egyptian mediators intervened “after the resistance succeeded in warding off the aggression”.
He said militant groups in Gaza would commit to the ceasefire as long as Israel did. Israeli cabinet minister Arieh Deri told Israel’s Army Radio he expected calm to be restored.
“If it will be quiet, we will respond with quiet. We’ve given Hamas a chance to prove that we can return to routine … If they release the reins there will be a very painful strike,” he said. “There is a good chance that the routine will be restored after the blow the army unleashed on them.”
The Israeli military struck dozens of militant sites in Gaza during the previous night as rocket fire continued towards southern Israeli communities, setting off air-raid sirens in the area.
Read the report in The Australian (AP).