Agencies

DAMASCUS, Jan 19: Palestinian group Hamas and its allies announced on Sunday a week-long ceasefire in Gaza within which they expect Israel to pull out its forces and lift the blockade on the coastal strip.

The move follows Israel’s declaration of a unilateral ceasefire on Saturday, which did not include either a pull-out of its forces from Gaza or the lifting of the blockade.

Fires rockets

The Hamas made the announcement after firing 17 rockets into Israel.

Israel said its planes attacked rocket launchers in northern Gaza, signalling the fragility of the calm.

Senior Hamas leader Abu Marzouq said here: “The Israeli enemy has failed in its bid to impose conditions. We in the Palestinian resistance movements announce a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and demand that the enemy forces withdraw in a week and open all the border crossings to permit the entry of humanitarian aid and basic goods.”

Marzouq said the Palestinian groups supported all efforts “particularly those of the Egyptians, Turks, Syrians and Qataris, to reach an agreement that meets our known demands, namely the lifting once and for all the entire blockade and the opening of all the crossing points, including the Rafah crossing” between Gaza and Egypt.