Jerusalem, April 10: Israel is ready to stop firing at armed Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip if the Palestinians reciprocate, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said today on Israeli public radio.
“If they cease firing we’ll cease firing,” the minister said, reacting to reports that the political wing of Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, would like to reach an effective ceasefire.
“We cannot tolerate firing” against Israel and “we will act along the lines of what happens on the ground,” Barak added.
It was the first time that an Israeli minister had envisaged a ceasefire since deadly clashes with the Palestinians broke out following an anti-tank attack on an Israeli school bus on Thursday.
He was speaking after a quiet night, but Palestinians fired three mortar shells at Israel early today without causing any casualties, the Israeli army announced.
-Agencies