Tense calm after clashes between Gaza and Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet had instructed the military to take "strong action" against Gaza militants.

Gaza's militant Islamic Hamas rulers and Israel appeared to be honouring a ceasefire last night that ended two days of an intense flareup in violence amid efforts by neighbouring Egypt to negotiate between the two sides.

Israel's military said that no rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel overnight and it conducted no airstrikes in Gaza against Hamas targets. Israel's Government hasn't confirmed the truce.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet had instructed the military to take "strong action" against Gaza militants.

Hamas' Al Aqsa TV channel reported yesterday that the Egyptian-brokered deal had taken hold "on the basis of mutual calm".

It was the third such truce in recent weeks.

However, the deal did not seem to address the deeper issues that have prevented the bitter enemies from reaching a longer ceasefire arrangement.

Gaza militants fired some 200 rockets at Israel and the Israeli military carried out a similar number of airstrikes in Gaza in this latest round of violence.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. In this week's fighting, the Palestinian Health Ministry said three Palestinians were killed. Israeli officials said seven people were wounded by rocket or mortar fire on the Israeli side. Israel and Hamas have come close to serious conflict in recent weeks after four months of violence along Gaza's border.

Hamas has led weekly border protests aimed in part at drawing attention to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed after Hamas took control of Gaza. Large turnout at the protests has also been driven by widespread desperation in Gaza, amid worsening conditions linked to the blockade. Power is on for just a few hours a day, unemployment has sky-rocketed and poverty is widening.

Israel has also been battling almost daily airborne arson attacks from Gaza caused by kites and balloons rigged with incendiary devices flown across the border that have sparked large fires that destroyed forests, burned crops and killed wildlife and livestock.

Over the past four months, 163 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, including at least 120 protesters, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and a local rights group. An Israeli soldier was killed by a Gaza sniper during this same period.

- AP