Israel denies reports of ceasefire in Gaza

There is currently no ceasefire in effect in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office reported.

"At the moment, there is no ceasefire for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and the exit of foreigners," the office said.

Earlier, the Al Arabiya TV channel reported that a five-hour ceasefire would take effect in southern Gaza at 9:00 a.m. local time (6:00 a.m. GMT). However, the Israeli army said at about 9:00 a.m. that air raid sirens had gone off twice in southern Israel bordering the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas official also said that there was no truth to reports about the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt or a temporary ceasefire.