Israeli cabinet approves cease-fire with Hamas amid 2nd week of violence

Israeli cabinet approves cease-fire with Hamas amid 2nd week of violence

LONDON and JERUSALEM -- Israel’s security cabinet has approved a cease-fire with Hamas, the prime minister's office announced Thursday. There have been mounting calls around the world for both sides to agree to an immediate cease-fire after 11 straight days of fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group ruling the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Thursday that rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip toward Israel stopped from 1 a .m. to 9 a.m. local time on Thursday, the longest pause since the violence erupted last week. Israel, however, continued its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip unabatedly, saying it wanted to deter Hamas from future attacks. Since last week, at least 232 people -- including 65 children and 39 women -- have been killed by the Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. About 1,900 others have been wounded.