Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire

Some surprising news out of the Middle East today as Israel and Hamas have apparently agreed to a six-month cease-fire that is set to start on Thursday. The news came after months of negotiations led by Egypt. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip portion of the Palestinian Territories, said that they feel confident that all militant groups inside Gaza will agree to the cease-fire. Israel, meanwhile, said that they are looking to see if the announcement is legitimate.

A small-scale war has been going on in Gaza and southern Israel since Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007. Militants in Gaza regularly fire crude, homemade rockets into Israel, sometimes dozens per day, while Israel conducts regular military raids into Gaza looking for the militants, but often causing civilian casualties in the process.

One goal of the cease-fire will be to loosen an economic blockade that Israel has imposed on Gaza - the Gaza Strip is largely dependent on Israel for food, fuel and other essentials. It could also serve as a platform for future negotiations, though both sides are skeptical over how much progress can be made in negotiations. Still, it is a start.

UPDATE: Israel has officially approved the cease-fire with Hamas. It is set to begin tomorrow morning.