It’s not official yet, and we had similar rumors yesterday that never materialized, but there are reports that Hamas and Israel have agreed to a cease fire in Gaza:
(Reuters) – Israel and the Islamist militant group Hamas agreed on Wednesday to a Gaza ceasefire deal, said a Palestinian official with knowledge of Egyptian mediation between the two sides.
The official declined to be named or to give further information.
There was no immediate official confirmation of the news, which came on the eighth day of intensive Israeli fire on the Gaza Strip and militant rocket attacks out of the Palestinian territory.
This news comes mere hours after a suicide bomber detonated a bomb on a bus in Tel Aviv, wounding 15 people. As I noted, there were rumors of a cease fire yesterday that never materialized so we’ll have to wait and see what actually happens.
Update: Further details from CNN:
Near the Israel-Gaza border (CNN) – A cease-fire agreement has been reached to end the hostilities in Gaza, Egypt’s foreign minister announced Wednesday at a news conference.
The cease-fire was scheduled to take effect at 9 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said.
The agreement came hours after militants exploded a bomb on a public transport bus in Tel Aviv, injuring 24 people.
The question now, of course, is how long this cease fire actually holds.
