Hamas: We Reached Open-Ended Ceasefire

Officials from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the main groups fighting in Gaza, said today they have reached a deal with Israel to end a seven-week war that has killed more than 2,000 Palestinians. There was no immediate Israeli comment. Ziad Nakhala, a senior official in Islamic Jihad, said the deal calls for an "open-ended" ceasefire and an Israeli agreement to ease its blockade of Gaza to allow relief supplies and construction materials into the war-battered territory. Talks on more complex issues, such as Hamas' demand to build an airport and a seaport for Gaza, would begin in a month, he said.

Egypt planned an announcement later today. If the terms of the ceasefire are confirmed, it would effectively mean Hamas in the end settled for terms that are similar to those that ended more than a week of fighting with Israel in 2012. Under those terms, Israel promised to ease restrictions gradually, while Hamas promised to halt rocket fire from Gaza at Israel. The truce held, but Gaza's border blockade remained largely intact. (More Arab Israeli conflict stories.)