Palestinian factions will meet in the Gaza Strip to decide the future of a shaky ceasefire that will end in 20 days, a spokesman for Hamas' military wing said on Sunday.
Abu Obaida, spokesman for Ezz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, ruled out that the ceasefire would be extended "because the mediator, Egypt, could not put pressure on Israel to commit it to the agreement."
He added that Egypt has asked the factions to extend the ceasefire, "but the Egyptian mediators will not affect the decision of the factions because their role in pressuring Israel was not enough."
Egypt brokered the six-month ceasefire between Palestinian armed groups and Israel declared effective in the Gaza Strip on June 19. Shortly after the beginning of November, the ceasefire was left near collapse due to a sudden resumption of violence.
Fifteen militants, most of them Hamas, were killed since Israel broke the agreement and launched several operations into the Gaza Strip on Nov. 4. The Palestinian groups also resumed rocket-fire from Gaza into Israeli border towns.
The ceasefire calls on Israel to ease Gaza blockade and halt its military operations in exchange for stopping Palestinian rocket fire. Israel kept the crossings closed since the resumption of the violence.
Source:Xinhua
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