I
srael and Hamas 'agree truce'
srael and Hamas 'agree truce' Israel carries out regular raids into Gaza to counter Hamas rocket fire Israel and militant group Hamas have agreed to end months of bitter clashes with a six-month truce starting on Thursday, Palestinian officials say.
A Hamas official said he was confident all militant groups in Gaza would abide by the agreement, brokered by Egypt.
Israeli officials said they were "looking to see if this is serious".
Earlier at least six Palestinians were reportedly killed in Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza. Israel said it had targeted "terror operatives".
Islamic Jihad said a missile struck a car carrying five of its members near Khan Younis. A sixth man died in a separate strike nearby.
Two-stage deal
Hamas took over Gaza in June 2007, driving out forces loyal to Fatah, the political faction led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Since then, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the international community have sought to isolate Hamas.
HAMAS 'TRUCE' TIMETABLE 0600 (0300 GMT) Thursday ceasefire beginsafter 24 hours Israel eases crossing restrictionsafter five days Israel opens commercial crossingsafter two weeks Egypt starts talks with all sides to seek reopening of Rafah crossingceasefire applies in Gaza Strip only
What chance of lasting peace?
Israel declared the territory a "hostile entity" and has blockaded it in an attempt to pressure Hamas into stopping rocket fire from the strip into Israel.
Over the past seven days, more than 20 people have died in Gaza as a result of Israeli military action. In the same period, the Israeli army says that Palestinian militants have fired more than 90 rockets and mortars into Israel.
Egypt, which has worked for months to clinch a deal between Israel and Hamas, urged both sides to "exert all efforts to bring the calm to a success", senior officials were quoted as saying.
The BBC's Tim Franks in Jerusalem says a ceasefire should lead to an improvement in people's everyday lives in southern Israel and Gaza, but any talk of political upheaval or breakthrough is premature.
Palestinian and Egyptian officials say the truce is to come into effect at 0600 (0300 GMT) on Thursday. As well as a halt to all hostilities, this stage of the deal also envisages a partial reopening of Gaza's borders, they add.
A second stage would focus on the return of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and on a deal to reopen the main Rafah crossing into Egypt, they say.
In the talks process until now, Israeli concerns have centred on whether all militant groups would adhere to a truce, and what Egypt would do to stop arms smuggling into Gaza, says our correspondent.
'New situation'
Israeli officials stress that phone lines to Cairo are "still running hot".
In a televised speech, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said: "We are studying the possibility of rapidly reaching a period of calm.
If anybody does anything, they will be doing it on their own
Ahmed Yousef,Hamas official
"It is still too soon to talk of that period of calm and when it comes into force, supposing it does come into force, it is difficult to know how long it will last."
A Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahar, confirmed at a news conference that militant groups had agreed a truce.
Hamas official Ahmed Yousef told the BBC: "I am confident that everybody will abide by what we've agreed. All the groups which went to Cairo gave their okay to the ceasefire.
"If anybody does anything, they will be doing it on their own."
According to a detailed breakdown released by Hamas, Israel will ease its restrictions on Gaza crossings with Israel on Friday morning, followed by the bigger commercial crossings next week.
After two weeks, talks will start involving Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the European Union on finding agreement on reopening the Rafah crossing into Egypt, Hamas says.
The truce will apply only in Gaza, Hamas says, and it will not be allowed to respond from Gaza to any Israeli action in the West Bank.
Next steps
Egyptian officials say they will continue efforts to broker a similar ceasefire in the West Bank.
The last ceasefire between Hamas and Israel ended in April last year, shortly before the Islamist movement took control of the Gaza Strip.
Mr Yousef said that the aim now was to push ahead talks on a prisoner exchange, as well as a new round of talks in Cairo between the rival factions of Fatah and Hamas.
A delegation from Fatah has already travelled to the Gaza Strip from the West Bank for talks with other party members.
The group is the first representing Mr Abbas to go to Gaza since Hamas seized control. Hamas has said it is prepared to hold talks with the Fatah officials, but there has been no word from Fatah on whether such a meeting will take place.
US interrogation debate detailed William Haynes sought information in July 2002 about interrogation methods US military lawyers have been detailing the development of harsh interrogation techniques used at Guantanamo Bay and other detention centres.
They told the Senate that methods such as sensory deprivation and simulated drowning were based on training given to soldiers on resisting interrogation.
The lawyers said they had raised concerns about the legality of the techniques as far back as 2002.
The White House responded by saying the US had treated all detainees humanely.
"Abuse of detainees has never been, is not and will never be the policy of this government," spokesman Tony Fratto said.
"The policy of this government has been to take these detainees and to interrogate them, and get the information that we can get to help protect this coun
try," he added.
'Subject to perception'
The lawyers' comments on the development of the controversial interrogation techniques employed by the US military and security services were released as part of the initial findings of a report by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
If we use those same techniques offensively against detainees, it says to the world that they have America's stamp of approval
Sen Carl LevinArmed Services Committee
The Pentagon's general counsel
A Hamas official said he was confident all militant groups in Gaza would abide by the agreement, brokered by Egypt.
Israeli officials said they were "looking to see if this is serious".
Earlier at least six Palestinians were reportedly killed in Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza. Israel said it had targeted "terror operatives".
Islamic Jihad said a missile struck a car carrying five of its members near Khan Younis. A sixth man died in a separate strike nearby.
Two-stage deal
Hamas took over Gaza in June 2007, driving out forces loyal to Fatah, the political faction led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Since then, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the international community have sought to isolate Hamas.
HAMAS 'TRUCE' TIMETABLE 0600 (0300 GMT) Thursday ceasefire beginsafter 24 hours Israel eases crossing restrictionsafter five days Israel opens commercial crossingsafter two weeks Egypt starts talks with all sides to seek reopening of Rafah crossingceasefire applies in Gaza Strip only
What chance of lasting peace?
Israel declared the territory a "hostile entity" and has blockaded it in an attempt to pressure Hamas into stopping rocket fire from the strip into Israel.
Over the past seven days, more than 20 people have died in Gaza as a result of Israeli military action. In the same period, the Israeli army says that Palestinian militants have fired more than 90 rockets and mortars into Israel.
Egypt, which has worked for months to clinch a deal between Israel and Hamas, urged both sides to "exert all efforts to bring the calm to a success", senior officials were quoted as saying.
The BBC's Tim Franks in Jerusalem says a ceasefire should lead to an improvement in people's everyday lives in southern Israel and Gaza, but any talk of political upheaval or breakthrough is premature.
Palestinian and Egyptian officials say the truce is to come into effect at 0600 (0300 GMT) on Thursday. As well as a halt to all hostilities, this stage of the deal also envisages a partial reopening of Gaza's borders, they add.
A second stage would focus on the return of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and on a deal to reopen the main Rafah crossing into Egypt, they say.
In the talks process until now, Israeli concerns have centred on whether all militant groups would adhere to a truce, and what Egypt would do to stop arms smuggling into Gaza, says our correspondent.
'New situation'
Israeli officials stress that phone lines to Cairo are "still running hot".
In a televised speech, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said: "We are studying the possibility of rapidly reaching a period of calm.
If anybody does anything, they will be doing it on their own
Ahmed Yousef,Hamas official
"It is still too soon to talk of that period of calm and when it comes into force, supposing it does come into force, it is difficult to know how long it will last."
A Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahar, confirmed at a news conference that militant groups had agreed a truce.
Hamas official Ahmed Yousef told the BBC: "I am confident that everybody will abide by what we've agreed. All the groups which went to Cairo gave their okay to the ceasefire.
"If anybody does anything, they will be doing it on their own."
According to a detailed breakdown released by Hamas, Israel will ease its restrictions on Gaza crossings with Israel on Friday morning, followed by the bigger commercial crossings next week.
After two weeks, talks will start involving Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the European Union on finding agreement on reopening the Rafah crossing into Egypt, Hamas says.
The truce will apply only in Gaza, Hamas says, and it will not be allowed to respond from Gaza to any Israeli action in the West Bank.
Next steps
Egyptian officials say they will continue efforts to broker a similar ceasefire in the West Bank.
The last ceasefire between Hamas and Israel ended in April last year, shortly before the Islamist movement took control of the Gaza Strip.
Mr Yousef said that the aim now was to push ahead talks on a prisoner exchange, as well as a new round of talks in Cairo between the rival factions of Fatah and Hamas.
A delegation from Fatah has already travelled to the Gaza Strip from the West Bank for talks with other party members.
The group is the first representing Mr Abbas to go to Gaza since Hamas seized control. Hamas has said it is prepared to hold talks with the Fatah officials, but there has been no word from Fatah on whether such a meeting will take place.
US interrogation debate detailed William Haynes sought information in July 2002 about interrogation methods US military lawyers have been detailing the development of harsh interrogation techniques used at Guantanamo Bay and other detention centres.
They told the Senate that methods such as sensory deprivation and simulated drowning were based on training given to soldiers on resisting interrogation.
The lawyers said they had raised concerns about the legality of the techniques as far back as 2002.
The White House responded by saying the US had treated all detainees humanely.
"Abuse of detainees has never been, is not and will never be the policy of this government," spokesman Tony Fratto said.
"The policy of this government has been to take these detainees and to interrogate them, and get the information that we can get to help protect this coun
try," he added.'Subject to perception'
The lawyers' comments on the development of the controversial interrogation techniques employed by the US military and security services were released as part of the initial findings of a report by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
If we use those same techniques offensively against detainees, it says to the world that they have America's stamp of approval
Sen Carl LevinArmed Services Committee
The Pentagon's general counsel
, William Haynes, sought information as early as July 2002 - nine months after the 11 September 2001 attacks - about training given to US military personnel on how to resist enemy interrogation.
The Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (Sere) programme is based on the experiences of US prisoners of war in previous conflicts.
Serve trainers provided Mr Haynes with a list of techniques, including sensory deprivation, sleep disruption, water-boarding and stress positions.
Several were approved by the then Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, in December 2002 despite objections by military lawyers.
"If we mistreat detainees, we will quickly lose the [moral] high ground and public support will erode," warned Col John Ley of the Army's Judge Advocate General's office in November 2002.
CIA 'ENHANCED INTERROGATION' TECHNIQUES Water boarding: prisoner bound to a board with feet raised, and cellophane wrapped round his head. Water is poured onto his face to produce fear of drowningCold cell: prisoner made to stand naked in cold, though not freezing, cell and doused with waterStanding: Prisoners stand for 40 hours or more, shackled to floorBelly slap: Hard slap to stomach with open hand. Designed to be painful but not to cause injurySource: Described to ABC News by un-named CIA agents in 2005
Q&A: Water-boardingWater-boarding scrutinised
Mr Haynes said he had been unaware of the legal objection from the military and that he had been doing the best he could to prevent further attacks.
"There was a limited amount of time and a high degree of urgency," he said.
The committee also released details from previously classified minutes of a meeting in October 2002 in which a top military lawyer at Guantanamo said previously banned techniques such as sleep deprivation were being used secretly.
"Officially it is not happening," Lt Col Diane Beaver told the meeting, adding that commanders feared the Red Cross might find out.
John Fredman, then chief counsel to the CIA's counter-terrorism centre, argued during the meeting that torture "is basically subject to perception".
"If the detainee dies, you're doing it wrong," he said.
The chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sen Carl Levin, said Mr Rumsfeld's endorsement of harsh interrogation techniques had "unleashed a virus which ultimately infected interrogation operations conducted by the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq".
"If we use those same techniques offensively against detainees, it says to the world that they have America's stamp of approval."
The Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (Sere) programme is based on the experiences of US prisoners of war in previous conflicts.
Serve trainers provided Mr Haynes with a list of techniques, including sensory deprivation, sleep disruption, water-boarding and stress positions.
Several were approved by the then Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, in December 2002 despite objections by military lawyers.
"If we mistreat detainees, we will quickly lose the [moral] high ground and public support will erode," warned Col John Ley of the Army's Judge Advocate General's office in November 2002.
CIA 'ENHANCED INTERROGATION' TECHNIQUES Water boarding: prisoner bound to a board with feet raised, and cellophane wrapped round his head. Water is poured onto his face to produce fear of drowningCold cell: prisoner made to stand naked in cold, though not freezing, cell and doused with waterStanding: Prisoners stand for 40 hours or more, shackled to floorBelly slap: Hard slap to stomach with open hand. Designed to be painful but not to cause injurySource: Described to ABC News by un-named CIA agents in 2005
Q&A: Water-boardingWater-boarding scrutinised
Mr Haynes said he had been unaware of the legal objection from the military and that he had been doing the best he could to prevent further attacks.
"There was a limited amount of time and a high degree of urgency," he said.
The committee also released details from previously classified minutes of a meeting in October 2002 in which a top military lawyer at Guantanamo said previously banned techniques such as sleep deprivation were being used secretly.
"Officially it is not happening," Lt Col Diane Beaver told the meeting, adding that commanders feared the Red Cross might find out.
John Fredman, then chief counsel to the CIA's counter-terrorism centre, argued during the meeting that torture "is basically subject to perception".
"If the detainee dies, you're doing it wrong," he said.
The chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sen Carl Levin, said Mr Rumsfeld's endorsement of harsh interrogation techniques had "unleashed a virus which ultimately infected interrogation operations conducted by the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq".
"If we use those same techniques offensively against detainees, it says to the world that they have America's stamp of approval."
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