Netanyahu on ceasefire, upcoming Putin-Trump summit

(15 Jul 2018) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday Israel would not accept a ceasefire with Hamas unless it included an end to all militant hostilities including the use of incendiary kites and balloons from Gaza. "The Israeli military has delivered its most punishing blow against Hamas since the 2014 war. I hope they got the message. If not, they will get it later on," Netanyahu said at the weekly cabinet meeting. Earlier on Sunday the Israeli military lifted its restrictions along the Gaza border area, indicating it had accepted an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire, ending 24 hours of intense cross-border violence. The military had shut down a popular beach on Saturday and placed limitations on large gatherings as dozens of rockets were fired from Gaza. But after several hours of calm it said summer camps would operate as usual and residents could resume their daily routines. On Saturday, the military carried out its largest wave of air strikes in Gaza since the 2014 war, hitting several Hamas military compounds and flattening a number of its training camps. Two Palestinian teenagers were killed in an air strike in Gaza City, while four Israelis were wounded from a rocket that landed on a residential home. The military said several mortar shells were fired even after Hamas announced the ceasefire. The military struck the mortar launcher early Sunday but calm held for several hours after and neither side appears eager to resume hostilities. With Israel focused on rising tensions along its northern border, in its efforts to prevent Iran from establishing a permanent military foothold in post-war Syria, it has been wary of escalating violence in Gaza. But Netanyahu has also come under pressure to act from southern Israeli communities that have once again found themselves under rocket fire from Gaza in addition to contending with the daily field fires. Hamas has been trying to break out of its isolation and shine a spotlight on the hardships of the impoverished strip without invoking the full wrath of Israel. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...