Israel officially confirms Gaza ceasefire to begin tomorrow

If the fighting ceases tomorrow as planned, Israel will ease its blockade of Gaza next week, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev confirmed.

At the same time, talks to release an Israeli soldier held by Hamas will intensify, Regev said.

Palestinian militants carry the body of fellow Islamic Jihadist Moutaz Tafesh at his funeral in Gaza City yesterday. A ceasefire is due to go into effect early tomorrow

Egypt, which brokered the talks, announced a six-month agreement on Tuesday, saying it would begin Thursday at 6am local time.

Hamas confirmed the deal shortly afterward, and so did Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But there was no official confirmation from Israel until Wednesday.

'Thursday will be the beginning we hope of a new reality where Israeli citizens in the south will no longer be on the receiving end of continuous rocket attacks,' Regev said.

'Israel is giving a serious chance to this Egyptian initiative and we want it to succeed.'

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visits a primary school in Netivot, a town close to the Gaza Strip border, yesterday

Egypt has committed as part of the deal to stop the smuggling of arms and weapons from its territory into Gaza, Israeli defence officials said.

If Israel determines that Egyptian anti-smuggling efforts are serious, Hamas, Egypt and European officials will begin talks on opening Gaza's main gateway, the Rafah crossing into Egypt, Israeli defense officials said today. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the sensitive talks were still in progress.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, 'We in Hamas are committed to what we have declared.'

The truce is meant to end a violent cycle of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli air and land strikes that have intensified over the past year since the Islamic Hamas took over Gaza.

Masked Palestinian militants from the Islamic Jihad movement attend a funeral yesterday for three comrades killed by Israeli forces on the Gaza Strip

It is also meant to improve the lives of ordinary Gazans who have been hurt by tough Israeli economic sanctions meant to pressure Hamas to halt the attacks and weaken its standing in Gaza.

The blockade has caused widespread shortages of fuel, electricity and basic goods in the impoverished territory of 1.4million Palestinians.

The daily rocket and mortar attacks on Israel's southern communities have disrupted the lives of thousands there.

The talks were brokered by Egypt because Israel, like much of the international community, shuns Hamas for refusing to recognize Israel or denounce violence.

Both sides consider the truce to be fragile and violence is expected to continue up to the last minute. On Tuesday, Israeli aircraft attacked three targets in southern Gaza, killing six militants, and Palestinian militants responded by firing seven rockets into Israel.