DHAKA: Israel's foreign minister and Hamas have denied earlier reports of a truce deal to end fighting in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian militants, reports BBC.

Avigdor Lieberman said the reports were “as of now incorrect”, and Hamas, which controls Gaza, said talks in Egypt were ongoing.

An Israeli official earlier told the BBC the truce was to take effect on Friday at 06:00 local time (03:00 GMT).

Some 227 Palestinians and one Israeli have died in nine days of conflict.

Israel launched its Operation Protective Edge with the stated objective of halting Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.

However, the United Nations says most of those killed in Gaza have been civilians.

Israel accuses Hamas of hiding its military infrastructure within the civilian population.

On Wednesday, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees said it had found 20 rockets hidden in one of its vacant schools in Gaza and "strongly condemned" whichever group had placed them there.

BDST: 2042 HRS, JUL 17, 2014
SR