Israel extended a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for another 24 hours, but Hamas, which dominates the coastal enclave, said it would only accept the truce if Israeli troops left the territory.
Israeli ministers had signalled that a comprehensive deal to end the 20-day conflict with Hamas and its allies was remote. So far, at least 1,050 Gazans almost all civilians – have been killed, and 42 soldiers and three civilians in Israel have died.
“At the request of the United Nations, the cabinet has approved a humanitarian hiatus until tomorrow at 2400 (midnight local time, 2100 GMT Sunday),” the official, who was not named, said in a statement after the cabinet session held in Tel Aviv had ended. “The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) will act against any breach of the ceasefire.”
On Saturday, Gazans took advantage of the lull in fighting to recover their dead and stock up on food supplies, flooding into the streets after the ceasefire began at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT/6.00 a.m. BST) only to discover scenes of massive destruction in some areas.
