Ceasefire takes hold in Gaza

A SHAKY ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad appeared to be taking hold early yesterday, ending a two-day round of violence that had threatened to disrupt next week’s Israeli national elections.

Musab al-Berim, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, said the ceasefire went into effect at 11.30pm on Monday, several hours after an earlier truce quickly unravelled.