Cairo: The Gaza ceasefire has been extended for another 24 hours after talks between the Palestinian and Israeli officials, confirmed Egypt.
The announcement came late on Monday, less than an hour before a temporary truce was set to expire in the Gaza war. The previous ceasefire came into effect last Wednesday. According to the reports, Palestinian and Israeli delegations has agreed to continue negotiations for a permanent deal.
Officials say that 2,016 Palestinians and 66 Israelis have died since Israel began its military offensive on Gaza on 8 July. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces were “"ready for all scenarios” and would hit back hard if Hamas resumed rocket fire.
Hamas has said that it would continue fighting for its rights and Israel insists that it would maintain some control over Gaza's crossings to prevent the smuggling of weapons. Israel is also concerned by the import of building materials into Gaza, saying they could be used by Hamas to rebuild its tunnel network.