'Israel-Hamas cease-fire pact very soon'

Cairo/Jerusalem, Feb 8: The Egyptian Government on Sunday, Feb 8 expressed hope that a Gaza truce accord between Israel and the Hamas could be reached 'very soon'.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki was quoted by a news agency as saying that Egypt has been mediating indirect talks for a lasting truce since the end of the 22-day Gaza war, which killed at least 1,330 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.

The fighting ended when both Israel and the Hamas called separate cease-fires on January 18.

However, the fragile calm has been tested by Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel and retaliatory air strikes.

On Sunday, a military spokesman claimed that Palestinian militants had fired a rocket from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, causing damage but no injuries.

The Israeli Defence Force said two cars were set ablaze and destroyed while shrapnel damaged several others after a Kassam rocket fired by Palestinians early morning landed in a parking lot on a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev region.

The rocket did not cause casualties. It exploded in the Niram kibbutz near the city of Sderot, the Jerusalem Post quoted a spokesman, as saying.

Palestinian militants have fired about 40 rockets and mortar rounds since January 18 when Israel ended its 22-day military Gaza offensive. That offensive caused 1,330 Palestinian deaths.

Israel, which launched its assault on December 27 with the stated aim of stemming rocket attacks, has warned of 'the severest riposte' to any further rocket fire.

Meanwhile, IDF troops arrested a Palestinian terror suspect in a village northeast of Ramallah, in the West Bank on Saturday, Feb 7 night. The man is being interrogated, IDF sources told the paper.

ANI