Hamas-Israeli truce begins

A truce between Israel and Hamas took effect this morning, hours after the two sides launched attacks that highlighted the difficulties they face in keeping the cease-fire.

After a year of violence that has killed more than 400 Palestinians and seven Israelis, the leaders of both sides expressed hope that the truce would succeed, but made it clear that they have little faith in their adversaries’ commitment to the deal.

“I hope it will succeed. I believe there will be quiet in [Israel’s] south,” Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in a speech to philanthropists.

But the Israeli leader also said he instructed his military “to prepare for any operation, short or long, that might be necessary” if the truce broke down, as several previous ones had.

In the Gaza Strip, top Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh said the truce would ease the lives of Gazans, but success or failure was in Israel’s hands.

“The calm is going to bring stability to Israel if they commit themselves to it,” he said.

The truce was reached after months of efforts by Egypt and could avert a large-scale Israeli military incursion.

The talks were brokered by Egypt because Israel, like much of the international community, shuns Hamas for the Islamic militant group’s refusal to recognize the Jewish state or renounce violence.

On Wednesday, the military said at least 40 rockets and 10 mortar shells had exploded in Israel by nightfall, an especially high one-day total.

The militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for much of the rocket fire, saying it was revenge for Israeli airstrikes that killed 10 militants in the previous two days.

Israel hit back with two more airstrikes, wounding two Palestinians, Hamas security officials said.

According to the truce terms, militants will immediately halt their attacks on Israel, and Israel will cease its raids.

After three days, Israel will ease the Gaza blockade, and a week later it will further ease restrictions at cargo crossings.

In a final stage, the sides are to talk about opening a major border crossing between Gaza and Egypt and about the return of a captured Israeli soldier held in Gaza by Hamas militants for two years.