announced a one-week truce to allow Israeli troops to withdraw, in a speech on Syrian state television.
At least 1,300 Palestinians, according to Palestinian sources, and 13 Israelis have been killed since Israel launched its offensive on 27 December.
The cessation of hostilities was earlier cast into doubt by fresh rocket fire into Israel and an Israeli air strike on militants in Gaza.
"At least 18 rockets were fired into Israel," Israeli sources said, triggering an Israeli air strike in response.
Hamas official Ayman Taha told the BBC that the ceasefire announced by Mousa Abu Marzouq also applied to other militant groups.
"Hamas and the factions announce a ceasefire in Gaza starting immediately and give Israel a week to withdraw," he was reported as saying.
The group said the ceasefire would be temporary unless Israel met its long-standing demands.
These include an end to military action, lifting its 19-month blockade of the Gaza Strip and opening border crossings between Gaza and Israel.
Hamas' leader in exile, Khaled Meshaal, will make an "important" announcement in Syria on Sunday afternoon regarding Israel's ceasefire, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Palestinian medics say at least 50 bodies have been pulled from the rubble since Israel halted its offensive.
Durable ceasefire
Meanwhile, heads of state from across Europe are in Egypt for a summit with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and UN chief Ban Ki-moon to try to shore up the ceasefire.
They will discuss how to make the ceasefire durable and respected by Hamas, how to get aid to Gaza and beginning the process of rebuilding there.
Since neither Israel nor Hamas will be attending the summit in Sharm El Sheikh, there are questions about how much can be achieved and whether this will amount to more than a gigantic photo opportunity by those who want to help resolve the conflict .
Sunday
3:38 Obama urged Americans to show a spirit of sacrifice
3:31 Hamas calls on Palestinians in Syria to celebrate the victory of Gaza Strip
3:08 Palestinian politician: the inter Palestinian conflict is more most dangerous than the aggression against the Gaza Strip
2:44 Barak achieved electoral gains as a result of the war but Netanyahu is still ahead
2:38 Sana'a: A smuggling ship is sinking in Bab el Mandeb
2:08 Turkish President: No solution to the conflict in Gaza, without the participation of the U.S.
1:59 95 bodies recovered from the rubble in Gaza
1:46 Al Jazeera:" Israel has begun deploying its troops along the borders with Gaza strip
1:35 79% percent of Americans viewed positively the arrival of Obama
1:29 calls for a Criminal Court to investigate the war crimes of Israel
1:20 Erdogan is in Brussels to discuss the speeding up of membership in EU
0:57Loss of the Gaza Strip resulting from the war is estimated at $1.6 billion
0:54 Six of the Guantanamo prisoners returned to their home countries
0:35 BERLIN: The video, which contains the threats of al-Qaida is for real
0:23 more Arab leaders arrive in Kuwait to participate in the economic summit
0:13 Chavez: Obama may be assassinated if he changes the American empire
0:04 Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement on gas
21:06 British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on Israel on Sunday to follow up its withdrawal of troops from the Gaza Strip by opening the crossings into the Palestinian territory.
20:34 PM Ehud Olmert told European leaders on Sunday he wants to withdraw Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip "as quickly as possible" ."We are not interested in staying in the Gaza Strip, we want to leave as quickly as possible," Olmert said
19:53 French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives in Israel along with five other European leaders.
19:01 Israeli troops have begun a gradual withdrawal from Gaza
17:49 Israeli troops withdrew from key positions in and around Gaza City on Sunday,
19:18 Israeli Likud party: The war in Gaza has not achieved its objectives and support the continuation of military operation. ( in reference to the firing of 2 rockets from Gaza despite the declaration of ceasefire by Hamas )
19:16 Jazeera: following the firing of rockets from Gaza , Israel started redeploying its troops to the border strip inside the Gaza Strip
19:15 The Israeli army is beginning to withdraw from some parts of Gaza
19:13 Several leaders arrived in Kuwait to participate in the economic summit including Lebanese president Suleiman , PM Siniora, Sudanese president Omar Hassan basher, Baharini king Hamad Bin Eassa al Khalifa , UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, Algerian president Bouteflika and Iraqi president Jalal Talabani,
18:15 Israeli police: 2 rockets that were fired from Gaza landed in southern Israel
17:49 Israeli army withdraws from key positions in Gaza, witnesses report
17:20 Palestinian militants in Gaza fired two rockets into Israel on Sunday after Hamas and other armed factions announced a one-week ceasefire, Israeli police said.
16:50 Egypt President Hosni Mubarak, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Arab League chief Amr Moussa call for an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict in 2009, at the end of a summit in Egypt.
16:25 Ban Ki Moon : I appreciate the efforts exerted for achieving a ceasefire
16:24 Jordan's King Abdullah: The important thing is to stick to the Arab Peace initiative
16:23 Abbas: we hope the ceasefire in Gaza will hold to allow us to rebuild it. The damage is far more extensive than the media has reported
16:19 Turkish president Gul: All Palestinian factions should reconcile. Turkey is ready to place all its resources to achieve peace in the Middle East and has the full confidence in president Abbas
16:15 Italian PM Berlusconi : Italy is ready to send urgent aid to Gaza and Italy will contribute to the rebuilding of Palestinian economy
16:12 German Chancellor Merkel : efforts should be exerted to end smuggling of arms into Gaza and to enforce the ceasefire . Germany is ready to send urgent aid to Gaza
16:11 British PM Brown: Peace effort should continue to build 2 states , Palestine and Israel. Firing Rockets from Gaza should stop and humanitarian aid should be provided to the people of Gaza
16:20 Sarkozy : The Gaza cease fire is not enough. Smuggling of weapons into Gaza should be halted and Israel should withdraw from Gaza if the firing of rockets stopped
16:10 Mubarak: "We should exert efforts to boost the march for just and comprehensive peace . Egypt controls its borders and would not accept the deployment of foreign observers on its territories"
16:05 Presidents Mubarak and Sarkozy hold a press conference in Sharm el Sheikh
16:00 The Israeli army withdrew from the coastal road that links central Gaza to Gaza city.
15:24 Obama welcomed the ceasefire declarations in Gaza
14:44 Sarkozy said in Sharm el Sheikh : We support president Abbas completely, because he is a man of peace . Keeping the the Israeli forces inGaza does not serve Israeli security
14:40 An international summit of European and Arab leaders aimed at stabilizing a truce in Gaza begins in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
14:05 Moussa Abu Marzouq, number 2 at Hamas announces a ceasefire and gives Israel one week to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
13:25 AFP says IDF officers shot and killed an eight-year-old Palestinian girl, earlier this morning, after Israel’s announcement of a unilateral ceasefire.
13:15 Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev: We cannot define a timetable for withdrawing from Gaza until we have ensured the ceasefire is durable.
13:00 Qatar closes Israel's trade office in Doha over Gaza. "The ministry has summoned the head of Israel's trade office in Doha and gave him an official memorandum of Qatar's decision to close the bureau," the Qatar's official news quoted the Qatari official as saying.
12:46 Palestinian medics say they have so far pulled 95 bodies from the rubble in Gaza, following Israel's unilateral ceasefire. Al-Arabiya reports 12 people were from one family.
12:19 President Michel Suleiman leaves for Kuwait to participate in the Economic Arab Summit
12:00 Gunmen shot and wounded Islamic Action Front official Mohammed Shehadeh Nasser after intercepting his car as he drove on Mitein road in Tripoli in northern Lebanon.
11:40 PM Siniora: We should support Arab initiatives to resolve Gaza crisis. “We should emphasis common Arab initiatives to resolve the Palestinian situation because not solving this issue will keep the Palestinian people and neighboring countries exposed to Israeli offensives.” He told reporters in Kuwait where he is attending the Economic Arab Summit. He added : "The world is in dire need for strengthening Arab unity and settling the Palestinian cause."
11:31 Social Affairs Minister Mario Aoun: Is it possible to establish diplomatic ties with Israel after Gaza? “The most important thing at the moment is the victory of the resistance - and it has already achieved victory..."
11:21 Maher Abu Rajila , 20 was the First Palestinian killed after Israel’s unilateral ceasefire
11:20 Abbas from Cairo: Israel's unilateral ceasefire is important but insufficient. He called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and the reopening of border crossings to allow aid to reach the Palestinian people.
11:16 Palestinian medics say 1,245 people have been killed and 5,300 wounded during the 23-day Israeli offensive, after 40 bodies were discovered after Israel halted its offensive.
10:42 40 bodies found in Gaza after Israel’s unilateral ceasefire
10:38 Lebanese security forces used tear gas to disperse anti-Israeli protesters trying to storm the U.S. embassy in Awkar.
10:31 Olmert says Israel's unilateral ceasefire is fragile, being reassessed
10:21 Chatah rejects appearance of Lebanon being in one particular axis
10:19 First Israeli air strike on Gaza after unilateral truce: army
10:15 Samir Franjieh: Hezbollah has recognized Lebanon should be non-aligned
09:28 Khazen: Lebanon not part of military confrontations for first time since 2006
9:15 PM Fouad Siniora, accompanied by Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs Ibrahim Shamseddine, left for Kuwait to take part in the Arab Economic Summit.
09:12 Gaza militants fire first rockets into Israel since truce: army
9:00 U.N. chief Ban Ki-Moon left Beirut for Damascus.
06:15 "Al-Ahram," Egypt: Doha recommendations represent a minimum ceiling of decisions to be taken by the summit of Kuwait
4:49 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he will be visiting Damascus Sunday and from there will head to Sharm el-Sheikh to attend the meeting on Gaza, called by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and and from there will head to Kuwait to attend the Arab Economic Summit.
4:49 FutureTV: Sarkozy urges Palestinian PM Fayyad to form a new government to keep up with the solutions
4:35 Abbas meets Mubarak and both are heading to Kuwait
04:30 Damascus did not help in Gaza and its eyes are focused on weakening Egypt
3:10 Hamas' Hamdan describes the international forces as "forces of occupation" and tells (IDF chief of staff general Gabi ) Ashkenazi, wait to see the end
2:25 Al Jazeera:" Apache helicopters, and Israeli warplanes fly in the airspace of the Gaza Strip.
2:20 Jazeera": A phosphorous shell was fired at al Tuffah district
2:20 "Al Jazeera": shelling in Gaza after the Israeli unilateral ceasefire declaration took effect
2:18 Nasser Brigades spokesman told "Al Jazeera:" We will use all available resistance means, will not stop resisting and the Israelis did not abide by the cease-fire.
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2:17 Bashar Al-Assad told "Der Spiegel" : I call on Obama to prepare himself for a serious course for peace and we are ready to impose stability in the region,
2:09 Cairo is angry over the Israeli - U.S. agreement , is holding an an international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh without inviting Washington,
2:00 The unilateral ceasefire declared by Israel became effective now
1:48 Egyptian security source told Kuwaiti newspaper : Five Israeli rockets landed in the Egyptian side of "Rafah,"
1:43 Bardawil told Kuwaiti newspaper: Abbas was involved in the assassination of Hamas' Siam . We approve the presence of Turkish observers
1:37 Hamnas source told Kuwaiti newspaper: Israel torpedoed the Egyptian initiative and we will continue to launch rockets
1:24 The Israeli army used half its weapons and fired 1000 tons of explosives in Gaza war
1:01 cautious calm in Gaza , just one hour before the ceasefire takes effect . The red cross will be heading to the areas of the clashes before dawn
1:01 Barak : we are prepared to respond to any attack and to deepen our operation in Gaza as needed
Saturday
22:51 Israel has declared a unilateral cease-fire in the fighting in Gaza beginning at 2 a.m. Sunday (7 p.m. ET Saturday), Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.
21:16 Member of the Fatah parliamentary bloc, Azzam al-Ahmad: Assad is not serious about his announcement about "the death of the Arab initiative", but wanted to serve a certain agenda
21:11 Renewed outbreak of fire in the UNRWA building in Tel el Hawa , Gaza
21:10 Mohammad Nazzal , a member of the Hamas Politburo: we will not accept a ceasefire without a political agreement
20:33 Hamas : A Unilteral ceasefire by Israel confirms that it was a one sided war
20:32 British Prime Minister will attend the International summit on Gaza tomorrow in Sharm el Sheikh , Egypt
20:25 Hamas statement: Israeli soldiers are "fleeing from the battlefields" in Gaza and the Israeli leadership is terrified . What is happening in Gaza, is for the sake Islam, Jerusalem and Palestine
20:23 Al Jazeera: Israel using a new type of bomb that looks like phosphorus bombs
20:11 LBC: It is expected that Israel will declare unilateral ceasefire but some ministers are opposed to the idea
19:58 Lebanon Files: MP Nimaltallah Abi Nasr said that he is a candidate of the Change and Reform in Kesrwan . He said the names of the rest of the Kesrwan candidates will be announced by general Aoun after he ( Aoun) finds out the names of the competition
19:56 UN chief Ban Ki-Moon: I'm not confident about the declaration of a unilateral cease-fire
19:47 Ban Ki-Moon: the rocket fire on Israel from south Lebanon and Israel's response are a major source of concern that could lead to instability.
19:47 Ban Ki-Moon: the path of the International Tribunal will be based on international standards and can't know the outcome at this stage .
19:45 Ban Ki-Moon: I demanded that Israel should stop violating Lebanese airspace and its sovereignty and to provide the information on the cluster bombs that it fired on Lebanon in 2006 war .
19:41 Ban Ki-Moon: I will be in Sharm el-Sheikh to attend the summit on the situation in Gaza Sunday.
19:37 "Arabiyeh ": Egypt says that Olmert told Mubarak that Israeli response to the Egyptian initiative will be positive
19:20 Al Jazeera : The Israeli mini cabinet security meeting has just begun
19:15 Israeli sources: Israel has received clear commitments from Egypt over combating of smuggling of weapons into Gaza
19:13 Al Arabiyeh: German Chancellor Merkel will participate in tomorrow's summit in Sharm el Sheikh on Gaza
19:05 A U.S. expert says North Korea has "weaponized" its plutonium, producing four to five warheads. Pyongyang now wishes to be treated as a nuclear weapon state. Selig Harrison, an independent expert who met with officials this week in Pyongyang, says North Korea has weaponized about 31 kilograms of plutonium.
18:50 Egypt invited French president Sarkozy and Palestinian president Abbas to meet and discuss how the Gaza war could be ended . Both leaders will be also meeting Egyptian president Mubarak on Sunday according to Egyptian official news agency
18:45 Israeli sources: Olmert is going to declare a unilateral ceasefire
18:27 A citizen was injured by a bullet in his leg in an attack on an Nahar journalist Ramzi Musharafia in Khaldah . The army carried out raids to arrest the attackers
18:07 Future TV: Israel is raiding north western Gaza
18:01 Russian president declared that no agreement has been reached up till now with Ukrania over the European gas crises
18:00 MP Mustapha Ali Hussein criticized Ban Ki Moon's speech at the parliament saying he is "trying to justify the Israeli aggression by equating between the victim and the killer "
17:47 Germany and Britain are ready to participate in efforts to ending weapons' smuggling to Gaza
17:32 Israeli radio: 3 rockets from Gaza fell in western Israel
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17:28 Ban ki Moon may participate in te Sharm el Sheikh international conference on Gaza tomorrow
17:15 Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babajan ruled out cutting his country's relations with Israel, "despite the criticism of Israeli aggression in Gaza "
16:37 Israeli television: 5 soldiers wounded when an Israeli tank was destroyed by Palestinians rocket in the Maarifet area
16:23 PM Siniora after meeting with president Suleiman: Lebanon will go to the summit in Kuwait with united Lebanese position which stresses on reaching an Arab consensus on the situation in Gaza
16:15 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak: "After three weeks, we are very close to reaching the goals and securing them through diplomatic agreements," said during a visit to the south of the country. "The defense forces must continue their operation and be ready for any development," Barak added.
