Hamas Says It Accepted Proposed Cease-Fire For Gaza

Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Monday it has agreed to a proposed cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh conveyed his group's approval of the proposal during phone calls with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, the group added in a statement.

The approval came in the wake of Israeli forces issuing evacuation orders for Palestinians in eastern neighborhoods of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, a step widely seen as a prelude to starting Israel's long-threatened attack on the city, home to some 1.5 million Palestinians seeking refuge from the war. -