Israel-Hamas ceasefire said to be close after relatively quiet night

A senior Hamas official told CNN on Wednesday night that he expects a ceasefire agreement to be reached within the next couple of days.

Israel had a relatively quiet night on Wednesday

without rocket sirens since about 1 a.m. until Thursday morning.
The quiet came as Israel and Hamas are said to be close to a possible ceasefire that could go into effect as soon as Thursday evening or Friday night.

A senior Hamas official told CNN on Wednesday night that he expects a ceasefire agreement to be reached within the next couple of days, Israeli media reported.

“I think ceasefire mediation will work,” deputy head of the Hamas political branch Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook said. “The equation was clear – if they escalate we escalate. If they stop firing at Gaza we’ll stop firing at Tel Aviv. Israel’s actions in Jerusalem and Sheikh Jarrah have caused the al-Aqsa Brigades to enter the campaign,” he said. “Any negotiations for a ceasefire must address that,” he added.

Despite the claim, Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said that Israel was determined to continue the operation for as long as it was needed to restore security to the State of Israel.

“We will end the operation when we feel we have achieved our goals,” Cohen told Kan Radio.

During a Wednesday phone call between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden said he “expected a significant de-escalation on the path to a ceasefire.” Netanyahu told Biden that the operation will continue until Israeli citizens are secure.

Source: The Jerusalem Post

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