A Hamas official denied on Thursday that the Palestinian faction had secured a ceasefire deal with Israel, refuting claims from an Israeli official that they had agreed to halt fire early on Friday.
"The news about a ceasefire is incorrect. There are continuing efforts but no agreement until now," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP on Thursday.
The denial came after an Israeli official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said Israel had agreed a ceasefire with Hamas that would begin at 3am GMT on Friday.
Hamas had officially turned down an Egyptian initiative to stop the exchange of rocket and shelling that gained support from Israel and the US, saying it had not been consulted by Cairo, and arguing that the proposal was vague at some aspects.
More than 200 Palestinians and one Israeli were killed since Israel began its military operartion which it said was launched in response to rocketfire from Hamas-run Gaza agains its territories.
