Egypt to initiate truce between Israel and Gaza

Egypt has said that it is ready to initiate or broker a ceasefire-cum-truce between warring parties in the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict.

Ceasefire initiatives are expected to begin today with a meeting in Cairo. High-level delegations from Israel and the Gaza Strip are expected to attend, reports the BBC.

A Hamas official said a complete deal had to be agreed upon before a ceasefire can even be thought of.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet is likely to initiate a discussion on the proposal today.

At least 185 people in Gaza Strip were killed in the airstrikes since last week and most of them had been civilians, said Palestinian officials.

Israeli officials said that no Israelis had been killed but several had been injured.

Many rockets and manufacturing facilities had been destroyed in Hamas after airstrikes that had made Hamas weaker, said an Israeli official.

The call for ceasefire by Egypt had came just after a meeting among Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo.

Hamas claimed that peace making efforts were in progress.

Amid conjecture of ground invasions, thousands of people have fled from Gaza while Israel has set up thousands of troops in the border area.