Israel-Hamas truce announced

17/06/2008| IslamWeb

Israel and Hamas will begin a ceasefire on Thursday, a Palestinian official has said.

"Implementation of the truce will begin at 6am (0300 GMT) on Thursday," the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday.

 

Hamas said it would respect the six-month deal, which materialised after months of mediation by Egypt.

 

"Hamas will adhere to the timetable which was set by Egypt but it is our right to respond to any Israeli aggression before its implementation," Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said.

 

A ceasefire would aim to end both rocket and mortar bomb attacks on Israel from the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip and Israeli raids in the territory.

 

Israeli reaction

 

Israel stopped short of confirming the timing of what it said would be an informal arrangement to halt fighting.

 

Mark Regev, a spokesman for Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, said Israel would continue preparations for broad military action should a truce fall apart.

 

"What is important is not words but actions," he said, repeating Israel's demands for an end to attacks on Israeli civilians, a halt to arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip and progress towards the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier seized by Gaza fighters two years ago.

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION:

The truce to begin on Thursday at 6am (0300GMT) [EPA]

Al-Jazeera