‘A long-term truce in Gaza has been agreed with Israel ending seven weeks of fighting, according to Hamas officials. An announcement on the extended ceasefire is to be expected in Egypt.
“An agreement has been reached between the two sides and we are awaiting the announcement from Cairo to determine the zero hour for implementation,” said the spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri.
Egypt will issue a full statement by 5pm GMT, two Egyptian officials told Reuters.
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An anonymous Palestinian official also told AFP that the contacts working on the issue in Egypt’s capital “agreed a permanent cease-fire, a [deal to] end the blockade and a guarantee that Gaza’s demands and needs will be met.”
Tel Aviv has reportedly agreed to bring its blockade of Gaza to a halt in order to allow relief supplies and construction materials through. Discussions on more pressing issues the peace negotiations have been centered around, such as the potential establishment of a seaport and an airport in the Gaza strip, will begin in a month, a senior Hamas official told AP.
Israel has so far declined to comment on the report.
However, a spokesman for a group called the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees – which has been responsible for directing rockets into Israel – told Reuters that Egypt could be announcing the news within two hours.’
Read More: Israel, Palestine agree on long-term Gaza truce
Niamh Harris
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