Hamas to stick to August truce with Israel

The Islamic Hamas movement informed Egypt and other parties Friday that it is committed to the ceasefire agreement reached with Israel in August, a senior official said.

"We held contacts with Egypt and other parties and informed them that Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement reached in Cairo Aug 26," Xinhua quoted Hamas deputy chief Ismail Haneya as telling reporters in Gaza.

He added that Hamas would be committed to the agreement reached in Cairo "as long as and as much as the occupation is committed to it".

On Wednesday, a Hamas militant was killed in a short gun-battle with an Israeli army ground force near the borders between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel, after a Hamas sniper shot and wounded an Israeli soldier.

Israel sent a warning to Hamas through Egypt and other mediators that the Israeli army would strongly strike the movement in case Hamas militants carry more attacks or fire rockets into Israel.

On Thursday, Hamas leaders met representatives of political factions and powers, and agreed that they all were committed to the ceasefire.

On July 8, the Israeli army launched a large-scale air and ground military operation that lasted for 50 days, aiming at destroying tunnels that Hamas militants dug from Gaza into Israel.

The offensive ended after Egypt brokered a truce between the two sides. The war left 2,200 Palestinians and 70 Israelis dead and more than 11,000 injured, while it also destroyed large numbers of housing and infrastructure in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Haneya called on Egypt to permanently open the Rafah crossing point between the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and Egypt, and allow access of construction materials into Gaza for the reconstruction process.