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Hamas agrees to ceasefire

DAKAR (Senegal): Palestinian group Hamas, which is in control of the Gaza Strip, has agreed to abide by a ceasefire following an appeal by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, said official sources.

“President Wade has called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between Israel and Palestine,” the President’s office spokesman El Hadj Amadou Sall said in a statement published by the Le Soleil daily.

“Hamas has already unilaterally declared that it would observe this ceasefire,” said the spokesman, without giving any further details or specifying the beginning of Hamas’ unilateral truce. Further, the spokesman said that the radical Islamic movement had also promised to liberate “the Israeli prisoner of French origin in its possession,” adding: “In these conditions, there is no doubt that the ongoing mediation could eventually lead to the normalisation of relations between Israel and Palestine.”

In a statement published in the Le Soleil early this week, Mr. Wade had called on both Israel and Hamas to observe a ceasefire “from Monday, June 9” in order to give dialogue a chance. “There should be no more Israeli attacks or incursions into Gaza and Hamas must stop firing rockets towards Israel,” said Mr. Wade. — Xinhua

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