Truce begins but duration in doubt

Israel and Hamas halted fighting in the Gaza Strip yesterday but, with wider peace prospects hazy, both sides voiced doubt over how long the Egyptian- brokered ceasefire might hold.

Just before the truce went into effect after dawn, an Israeli missile strike killed one Palestinian gunman and wounded another near the border fence with Israel in the central part of the Gaza Strip, medical workers and militants said.

The truce began at 6 am after another day of cross-border violence. Dozens of improvised Palestinian rockets and mortar bombs had hit south Israel, without causing serious damage, and Israeli air strikes had wounded several Gaza gunmen.