Hamas-Israel truce deal almost clinched

Hamas' Gaza rulers and Israeli defense officials said yesterday that the two sides were on the verge of a truce deal, but prospects for clinching an agreement were thrown into doubt after Israeli aircraft targeted a car in southern Gaza, killing all five militants aboard.

The agreement is designed to end months of daily Palestinian rocket and mortar assaults on Israeli border towns and bruising Israeli retaliation. Egypt has been laboring for months to broker an agreement between Israel and the Islamic militant Hamas, which do not have direct contact with each other.

Israel confirmed the afternoon airstrike in the southern town of Khan Younis, saying it struck a car "carrying terror activists." Two other Palestinians were wounded in a second airstrike, Palestinian medical officials said.