News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Likud Knesset Member Limor Livnat said Wednesday morning that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas gives official recognition to the terrorist party and grants it international standing. The agreement for a six-month halt in terrorist attacks and counterterrorist operations in Gaza is to go into effect at 6 a.m. Thursday (11 p.m. Wednesday night EDT) and is to last six months.

Virtually the entire political and military establishment expressed doubt that the agreement will last that long, and opinion is divided on whether Israel should carry out a full-scale counterterrorist operation now or take a chance that Hamas will honor the pact.