Doubt on truce duration 

The Egyptian-brokered truce started at 6 A.M. local time (0300 GMT) Thursday in Gaza after another day of cross-border violence.

On Thursday morning, Ezz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, issued a statement announcing its commitment to the ceasefire which comes as a result of months of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt.

The six-month ceasefire is expected to halt Israeli attacks into Gaza and ease the blockade which Israel imposed on Gaza Strip when Hamas took over the territory by force a year ago. During the Gaza fighting, Hamas routed security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas and ousted his Fatah movement.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday that the imminent calm in Gaza Strip is temporary and may be short-lived, hours after Israel officially confirmed agreement to an Egypt-brokered truce with Gaza militants.

For its part, Hamas's armed wing said in a statement published just as the ceasefire began, that it is "fully ready to launch a military strike that would shake the Zionist entity if they did not abide by all the items of the calm".

Continuing peace efforts 

While each side has expressed skepticism over the duration of the truce and the lull was seen as "the quiet before the storm", mediation efforts for peace are continuing.

Olmert was scheduled to visit Cairo next Tuesday for a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday on its website.

The two are expected to discuss different regional issues including negotiations with the Palestinians and the ceasefire in Gaza Strip, said the report.

After the announcement of the truce with Israel for Gaza Strip starting on Thursday, Hamas said on Tuesday that it would respect the deal but stressed the Egyptian-mediated negotiations had not yet been concluded, describing the discussions in Cairo as positive.

Egypt has mediated a truce between Israel and Gaza militant groups for months by which Israel would ease the blockade imposed on Gaza and stop military offensive into Gaza for ending rocket attacks on Israel.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2008)