Israel does not confirm Hamas ceasefire claim as of Tuesday night

Jerusalem has not commented on the claim by Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials fighting in Gaza of a deal with Israel to end their 50-day war. Egypt plans an announcement at 6 pm, followed an hour later by a possible statement by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. DEBKAfile: In the course of the Gaza campaign, truces have repeatedly fallen by the wayside before implementation, or else they were violated by Palestinian terrorist groups before they took hold. Israel is therefore treating the Palestinian announcements with extreme caution.