Israelis approve unilateral Gaza Strip ceasefire

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet has approved a unilateral ceasefire to halt an 11-day Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, according to reports.

The decision last night came following heavy US pressure to halt the offensive. It was not immediately clear when the truce was to take effect.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan said the fighting was to halt immediately, while other TV channels said it would go into effect at 2am local time. There was no immediate reaction from Hamas.

Since fighting broke out on May 10, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes that it says have targeted Hamas’ infrastructure, including a vast tunnel network.

Hamas and other militant groups embedded in residential areas have fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israeli cities, with hundreds falling short and most of the rest intercepted.

At least 230 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials, while 12 people in Israel have died.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said reports of a move toward a ceasefire were “clearly encouraging”. She said the US was trying “to do everything we can to bring an end to the conflict”.

Earlier, Israel had unleashed a new wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip as Hamas fired more rockets into Israel.

Yesterday, Boris Johnson said anti-Semitism on Britain’s streets was “intolerable” and the message that it will not be accepted “needs to be heard clearly” as the country’s top rabbi deemed the rise in the hate crime as “unprecedented”.

The PM met Jewish leaders, including Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, following a rise in hatecrime incidents following the reignition of the conflict.