Hamas leader says Gaza ceasefire entails Israeli pullout

GAZA CITY (AA) – “Starting 8am [local time], a ceasefire would go into effect with the withdrawal of the oppressive Israeli army from the Gaza Strip,” senior member Moussa Abu Marzook tweeted. Earlier in the day, Hamas and Israel announced their approval of an Egyptian proposal for a 72-hour ceasefire in the embattled Palestinian enclave. The ceasefire would be in place as of 8am local time (05:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Hamas leader Ezzat al-Rashq said that Hamas agreed to the ceasefire and would engage in indirect talks with Israel on the terms of a truce based on a list of conditions set by the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza. Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying by local daily Haaretz that if the ceasefire lasts, there will not be a need for a continued army presence within the Gaza Strip. The Israeli radio said that a government delegation would head to Cairo within hours for indirect talks on a durable truce in Gaza. In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced an initiative for a 72-hour ceasefire and called on Israel and Palestinian factions to send delegations to Cairo for talks. Israel has been pounding the blockaded Gaza Strip – home to 1.8 million people – since July 7. At least 1867 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed and 9450 wounded in unrelenting Israeli attacks since then. The Israeli army has confirmed that 64 troops had been killed and 400 others injured in the ongoing Gaza military operation. Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets at Israeli cities, killing three civilians. The offensive – codenamed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populate Gaza Strip within the last six years.

By Mustafa Haboosh