Israel pounds Gaza as it mulls unilateral ceasefire

There was no let up in the Israeli attacks on Hamas-held Gaza as Tel Aviv weighed a unilateral ceasefire proposal to the 22-day-old war which has killed nearly 1,200 people, half of them civilians.

Israel on Sunday bombarded Gaza ahead of a meeting of its security cabinet that is expected to decide on a proposal for end to the war after the Tel Aviv received pledges from Washington and Cairo to help prevent arms smuggling into the Islamist-run enclave from Egypt.

The Israeli government is expected to vote today to decide whether to declare a unilateral cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip that would being to an an end the three-week-long 'Operation Cast Lead'.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni signed a deal with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday under which Tel Aviv would end its offensive even without a reciprocal agreement from Hamas. Israeli forces would remain in Gaza and the territory's border crossings with Israel and Egypt would remain closed until security arrangements are made to prevent Hamas arms smuggling.

"This campaign is not a one-time event. We will need to have our hand on the pulse," she said. "The test will be the day after. That is the test of deterrence," she told the Israeli YNet news Web site.

"I hope we are entering the endgame and that our goal of sustained and durable quiet in the south is about to be attained," Prime Minister Ehut Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said.

Khaled Meshal, the exiled Hamas leader in Damascus, rejected the ceasefire demands yesterday, insisting that Israel should withdraw its troops immediately. Israels offensive has killed nearly 1,200 Palestinians half of them civilians. Ten Israeli 10 soldiers and three civilians have been killed in combat or in rocket strikes.