Israel approves 24 hour extension of humanitarian ceasefire

Jerusalem, July 27: Israeli security cabinet Saturday night approved a 24-hour extension to the just ended UN-brokered humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, media reports said.

The Israeli security cabinet voted to approve a humanitarian truce in Gaza until midnight Sunday. During this period, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will continue to neutralise Gaza tunnels and will respond to any incoming attacks, Xinhua reported citing the Istraeli daily Haaretz.

The Israeli cabinet will now discuss the next step in the country's military operation in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Islamic Hamas movement abruptly rejected the proposal, insisting that the ceasefire deal should include the lift of a seven-year Israeli blockade on Gaza.

Hamas also said its fighters fired four rockets into Israel after the end of the UN-proposed truce.

During the military offensive in Gaza Saturday, two more Israeli soldiers were killed, which bring the death toll of Israeli soldiers to 42.

Also on Saturday and after the temporary UN truce expired, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli gunfire in Gaza Strip despite Israel's earlier announcement of extending the 12-hour humanitarian truce, medical sources said.

Over the past 19 days, the Israeli offensive on the coastal enclave has left about 1,030 Palestinians dead, and more than 6,000 others injured, said Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesperson of health ministry in Gaza.

IANS