Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Israel accepts cease-fire to end Gaza conflict

Mideast Israel_Palest_Gasp

AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

Smoke rises after an Israeli missile strike in Gaza City, Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Egypt presented a cease-fire plan Monday to end a week of heavy fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip that has left at least 185 people dead, and both sides said they were seriously considering the proposal. The late-night offer by Egypt marked the first sign of a breakthrough in international efforts to end the conflict.

JERUSALEM — The Israeli Cabinet has accepted an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire to end a week of conflict with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip that has killed 185 Palestinians and exposed millions of Israelis to Hamas rocket fire.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Cabinet met on Tuesday morning and accepted the proposal, which went into effect at 9 a.m.

It calls for a cease-fire to begin within 12 hours of "unconditional acceptance" by the sides, followed by the opening of Gaza's border crossings and talks in Cairo within two days.

Hamas has acknowledged "diplomatic movement" on ending the conflict without yet formally accepting the proposal.

Israel launched the offensive last Tuesday, saying it was responding to weeks of rocket fire out of the Hamas-ruled territory.

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