DHAKA: Israel has accepted a UN request for a 24-hour ceasefire in Gaza, but warns the army will act if it is breached by Palestinian militants, BBC reports.

A crisis cabinet meeting extended Saturday's truce until midnight on Sunday (21:00 GMT).

The move comes despite Hamas militants firing rockets after they rejected an earlier attempt to prolong the truce.

Hamas said it would not accept a truce unless Israeli troops left Gaza and the displaced were allowed to return home.

Israel said that it would continue operations against tunnels used by Hamas during the truce period.

Hamas has accused Israel of using previous ceasefires to prepare more attacks, and claimed that there had been truce violations during Saturday.

The IDF told media that three mortars were fired from Gaza and hit Israel in the Eshkol regional council shortly after 20:00 local time on Saturday. It also said three rockets were launched into Israel. Sirens have been sounding in Israel.

Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said they had fired five short-range and two longer-range missiles into Israel.

The original truce expired at 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Saturday. Gazans had been using the pause to recover bodies and gather supplies.

Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said that almost 150 bodies had been found in the rubble on Saturday

Source: BBC

BDST: 0838 HRS, JUL 27, 2014