BBC: Hamas ready to announce ceasefire within hours
High sources in Hamas, Gaza, told the BBC early Friday that intensive contacts with Egyptian intelligence officials had “succeeded in reaching a new truce between Hamas and Israel,” and that “the ceasefire agreement was to be announced within hours.” The sources said Hamas was ready to halt rocket fire in return for an assurance that Israel would stop air raids. This is not confirmed by Israel, which Thursday night put Hamas on 48 hours notice to halt the barrage. Three rockets from the Gaza Strip were fired Friday morning – scores in the last few days. One was intercepted by Iron Dome and two exploded harmlessly in the Sderot region. Tension is high in Jerusalem after a night of Palestinian outbreaks in several parts of the city ahead of the funeral Friday of a murdered Palestinian teenager.