Egypt, Israel Keep Pilgrims Stranded at Sea

Egypt brokers deal to stop escalating violence

(AP) - Gaza militants agreed to a cease-fire with Israel to stop spiking violence, a Hamas official said today, after a deadly attack across the Egyptian border on Israeli vehicles set off a three-day round of rapidly escalating Israeli airstrikes and rocket barrages from Gaza. The sudden flareup also threatened Israel-Egypt relations, after three Egyptian police were killed as the cross-border clash developed Thursday. Egypt complained strongly as thousands demonstrated in Cairo, and Israel apologized. More»

(NEWSER) - Hamas says its negotiators have a reached a deal with Israel for a long-term Gaza truce, Reuters reports. A senior leader said the truce ensures the opening of all commercial crossings and will be announced over the weekend. The Egyptian-brokered pact would replace a tentative truce put in place last month after a 22-day Israeli offensive left 1,300 Palestinians dead. Israel, in the midst of election chaos, had no official comment. More»

Neighbors must be involved: Friedman

(NEWSER) - The dominant theory holds that the two-state solution is the answer to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the war in Gaza has pushed tensions past the point where an equitable sharing of geography is enough, argues New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. He wants a "five-state solution—Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Saudi Arabia." More»

Israel agrees to withdraw from Gaza if truce holds

(NEWSER) - Hamas and other Gaza militants have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, and will allow Israel a week to pull troops out of the area, a Hamas official said today in Egypt. Israel said it would withdraw if the truce was upheld. It had declared a unilateral ceasefire beginning early this morning, but Hamas had vowed to keep fighting until troops were withdrawn from Gaza, Reuters reports. More»

2 children killed in UN school shelter: Palestinians

(NEWSER) - Israel launched 50 air strikes on Gaza last night ahead of a Cabinet vote on a unilateral ceasefire, the BBC reports. A tank shell hit a UN school, killing at least two children among hundreds of people who had taken refuge there, Palestinians say; Israel says it’s looking into the matter. A UN relief agency says Israel’s Gaza operations should face a war crimes probe. More»