Israel and Hamas 'agree truce'

Israel and militant group Hamas have agreed to end months of bitter clashes with a truce starting on Thursday, Palestinian officials say.A Hamas official said he was confident all militant groups in Gaza would abide by the agreement, brokered by Egypt.Israeli officials said Israel was "looking to see if this is serious".Earlier at least six Palestinians were reportedly killed in Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza. Israel said it had targeted "terror operatives".Islamic Jihad said a missile struck a car carrying five of its members near Khan Younis. A sixth man died in a separate strike nearby.
Two-stage deal
Hamas took over Gaza in June 2007, driving out forces loyal to Fatah, the political faction led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.Since then, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the international community have sought to isolate Hamas.Israel declared the territory a "hostile entity" and has blockaded it in an attempt to pressure Hamas into stopping rocket fire from the strip into Israel.Egypt, which has worked for months to clinch the deal between Israel and Hamas, urged both sides to "exert all efforts to bring the calm to a success", senior officials were quoted as saying.The truce is due to come into effect at 0600 (0300 GMT) on Thursday. As well as a halt to all hostilities, this stage of the deal also envisages a partial reopening of Gaza's borders.A second stage of the plan would focus on the return of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and on a deal to reopen the main Rafah crossing into Egypt.Israeli officials have listed three conditions for the general success of the truce, the BBC's Tim Franks reports: that there be a total cessation of hostilities; an end to arms smuggling from Egypt into Gaza; and movement on freeing Cpl Shalit, who was captured two years ago.Hamas official Ahmed Yousef told the BBC: "I am confident that everybody will abide by what we've agreed. All the groups which went to Cairo gave their okay to the ceasefire. If anybody does anything, they will be doing it on their own," he said.According to a detailed breakdown of the truce terms released by Hamas, Israel will ease its restrictions on Gaza crossings with Israel on Friday morning, followed by the bigger commercial crossings next week.After two weeks, talks will start involving Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the European Union on finding agreement on reopening the Rafah crossing into Egypt, Hamas says.The ceasefire will apply only in Gaza, and Hamas says it will not be able to respond from Gaza to any Israeli action in the West Bank.Egyptian officials say they will continue efforts to broker a similar ceasefire in the West Bank.
Rival groups
Mr Yousef said that the aim now was to push ahead talks on a prisoner exchange, as well as a new round of talks in Cairo between the rival factions of Fatah and Hamas.A delegation from Fatah has already travelled to the Gaza Strip from the West Bank for talks with other party members.The group is the first representing Mr Abbas to go to Gaza since Hamas seized control. Hamas has said it is prepared to hold talks with the Fatah officials, but there has been no word from Fatah on whether such a meeting will take place.
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As in the days of Noah....