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Relative calm after Gaza ceasefire

This article is more than 12 months old

GAZA CITY A ceasefire announced by Hamas largely held yesterday after the most severe exchange of fire between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since a 2014 war.

Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the blockaded Gaza Strip, said that a ceasefire had been reached.

The United Nations' Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov was "working with all concerned parties to de-escalate the situation", a UN official said.

Despite a few lower-level exchanges of fire, relative calm returned to the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli aircraft fired at what it said was militants launching balloons carrying firebombs over the Gaza border fence. These have caused hundreds of fires at Israeli farms.

There were dozens of Israeli air strikes on Saturday, killing two Palestinians, while some 200 rockets and mortars were fired from the enclave at Israel.

Four Israelis were hurt when a rocket hit a house in Sderot city, the authorities said.

The two Palestinians killed were aged 15 and 16, the enclave's Health Ministry said.

Twenty-five people were wounded across Gaza, it said.

Hamas said it fired at Israel in response to air strikes, which came after a soldier was wounded by a grenade along the border.Israel blamed Hamas for the escalation, pointing to months of clashes along the border that itsays Hamas is using as cover for attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday denied reports that "Israel has agreed to a ceasefire that would allow the continuation of terrorism by incendiary kites and balloons".

He said: "We are not prepared to accept any attacks against us and we will respond appropriately." - AFP

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