Egypt brokers ceasefire between Israel and Gaza

Egypt has brokered a truce between Palestinians in Gaza and Israel, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Sunday night.

In the latest round of violence to hit the besieged territory, six Palestinians were killed and more than 50 were wounded by arbitrary Israeli raids against civilian houses in Al-Zaytoun and Khan Younis over the weekend. Three Israeli settlers were wounded by Palestinian home-made rockets fired in response to the killings.

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The Israeli newspaper quoted informed Egyptian sources saying that both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two main militias in Gaza, agreed to hold their fire if Israel suspends its airstrikes on Gaza. Israel apparently agreed not to retaliate for sporadic rocket fire from Gaza as long as there are no casualties.

The UN’s special envoy to the Middle East, Robert Serry, was also part of the efforts to broker a ceasefire.

Despite the agreement, Israeli jets carried out a number of airstrikes in uninhabited areas in several parts of the Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.