CAIRO (AA) – Egypt has not received any official response from Palestinian resistance factions regarding its proposal for a ceasefire that aims to end days of violence between Gaza and Israel in which one Israeli and more than 200 Palestinians have been killed, an Egyptian diplomatic source has said.
"The Egyptian side is stepping up contacts with the Palestinian factions on the ceasefire initiative to end the aggression on the Palestinian people," the source told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.
"We have not received any official response from the Palestinian [resistance] groups, while the Palestinian Authority has shown its full support," he said.
Asked about the possibility of modifying the proposal to meet Hamas' demands, the official said the initiative was not subject to negotiation.
Since July 7, Israeli warplanes have pounded the Gaza Strip with the ostensible aim of ending Palestinian rocket fire from the besieged coastal enclave.
At least 208 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed so far – and more than 1500 injured, many seriously – in unrelenting aerial attacks by the self-proclaimed Jewish state.
Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets at Israel – some of which have reached Tel Aviv – in response to the ongoing airstrikes.
Since Israel's air campaign began last week, one Israeli has been killed as a result of rocket fire from Gaza.
The ongoing military operation, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is Israel's third major offensive against the embattled Gaza Strip – home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – in the last six years.
On Monday, Egypt proposed a ceasefire between Gaza-based resistance factions and Israel, to come into effect on Tuesday at 6am GMT.
Cairo's initiative called on Israel to cease all hostilities in the Gaza Strip, halt all ground operations and refrain from targeting civilians, according to an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement.
It also called on Palestinian resistance factions to cease hostilities against Israel, halt rocket fire and cross-border attacks and stop targeting civilians.
The overture further calls for reopening Gaza's closed border crossings and facilitating the movement of persons and goods in and out of the embattled coastal territory.
Israel accepted the ceasefire proposal before quickly making a U-turn and resuming airstrikes on Tuesday, citing the failure of Hamas and Islamic Jihad to respond positively to the initiative.
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