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Israel and Hamas agree ceasefire

25 October 2012 13:35 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Palestinian militants held fire overnight on Thursday and Israel refrained from air strikes as an informal truce brokered by Egypt appeared to take hold following two days of violence along the Israel-Gaza border, Euronews reported.

Palestinians had launched dozens of rockets into Israel over the preceding two days and Israel conducted a number of air raids on the coastal enclave, raising fears of a prolonged, bloody confrontation between the two sides.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the last known rocket was fired from Gaza on Wednesday at 8.00 p.m. (1800 GMT).

An Israeli defence official said no formal agreement had been reached with Hamas, the Islamist faction which controls the Gaza Strip, although Egyptian defence officials had been instrumental in restoring calm.

â€œThe Egyptians have a very impressive ability to articulate to (Hamas) that its primary interest is not to attack and use terror against Israel or other targets,â€ Israeli defence official Amos Gilad told Israeli Army Radio.

But he added that there was no direct agreement with the Islamist faction which refuses to recognise the Jewish state and calls for its destruction.

â€œIt can be said categorically that there is no agreement with Hamas, there has never been and there will never be. ... The only thing that has been set and said is that there will be calm. We are not interested in an escalation,â€ Gilad added.