Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said
Tuesday that reports of a ceasefire with the Palestinian militant movement
Hamas were "premature."
Speaking north of Tel Aviv, Barak said Israel was examining the
possibility of agreeing a ceasefire.
"Even if we should reach one it is unclear how long it would last,"
he said. The Israeli army must be prepared "for all developments."
Israel and the Hamas movement ruling the Gaza Strip reached a truce after
months of difficult indirect negotiations and deadly violence, Egypt announced
Tuesday.
The truce would take effect Thursday morning at 6 am (0300 GMT), Egypt's state
news agency MENA reported, quoting a senior Egyptian official.
Israel would not confirm or deny the report.
However, its defence ministry said that Amos Gilad, the senior Israeli defence
official involved in the Egyptian-mediated truce negotiations, would travel to
Egypt Tuesday night for unexpected talks with Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar
Suleiman.
A senior Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip said Tuesday evening that a ceasefire
had been agreed with Israel.
"This ceasefire, upon what was agreed upon will be for six months in the
Gaza Strip, while Egypt will try to implement a similar ceasefire agreement in
the West Bank within six months," said Mahmoud al-Zahar.
Under the deal Israel would ease a one-year blockade on the
Strip and stop its operations to halt homemade rocket attacks from Gaza on the
Jewish state, al-Zahar said, according to dpa.
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