Hamas official predicts ceasefire 'within a day or two'
Speaking on Lebanon's al-Mayadeen TV, Hamas political official Moussa Abu Marzouk said he believed "ongoing efforts regarding the ceasefire" would succeed
![A man inspects a damaged vehicle in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/big_3/public/images/2021/05/19/2021-05-19t061253z_1360564097_rc2tin9v7otr_rtrmadp_3_israel-palestinians.jpg)
A senior Hamas leader has said he expects Israel and Gaza militants to reach a ceasefire "within a day or two", as cross-border attacks continue.
But Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he was "determined to carry on" until "calm and security are restored to Israeli citizens".
Speaking on Lebanon's al-Mayadeen TV, Hamas political official Moussa Abu Marzouk said he believed "ongoing efforts regarding the ceasefire" would succeed, reports the BBC.
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"I expect a ceasefire to be reached within a day or two, and the ceasefire will be on the basis of mutual agreement," he said.
More than 100 Israeli air strikes targeted militant infrastructure in the north of Gaza early on Thursday.
Fighting began in Gaza after weeks of rising Israeli-Palestinian tension in occupied East Jerusalem that culminated in clashes at a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews. Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls Gaza, began firing rockets after warning Israel to withdraw from the site, triggering retaliatory air strikes.
At least 230 people, including more than 100 women and children, have been killed in Gaza so far, according to its Hamas-controlled health ministry. Israel has said at least 150 Hamas members are among those killed in Gaza. Hamas does not give casualty figures for fighters.
In Israel 12 people, including two children, have been killed, its medical service says. Israel says some 4,000 rockets have been fired towards its territory by armed groups in Gaza.
