Gaza groups agree to ceasefire with Israel after Egyptian mediation

Ma'an – A Hamas official said Sunday that all militant groups in Gaza have agreed to observe a cease fire to end the latest round of violence with Israel, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Egypt had helped mediate the cease fire after telling Gaza groups that Israel would halt airstrikes if militants stopped firing projectiles.

The official said that the ceasefire would begin Sunday evening and Hamas security would enforce the agreement, Haaretz said.

Earlier, a senior Islamic Jihad leader told AFP that Egyptian officials had held talks with some of Gaza's military factions in order to secure a ceasefire agreement.

Although Gaza's Hamas leaders were not there in person, a senior official from the Islamist movement confirmed they were in touch with the Egyptians by phone.

Israel began bombarding the Gaza Strip after someone staged a series of bloody shooting attacks in the Negev desert on Thursday, killing eight Israelis and prompting a wave of bloody tit-for-tat exchanges.

Israel blamed the Gaza-based Popular Resistance Committee for the Eilat attacks, although the group denied involvement.