Israel's FM: Hamas rulers can't dictate terms of truce

JERUSALEM - Israel must not let the Gaza Strip's Islamist Hamas rulers dictate terms of a cease-fire after a recent escalation of fighting, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday.

Calm returned to Gaza Strip and southern Israel overnight after four days of cross-border violence in which 19 Palestinians died, with United Nations and Egyptian mediators having helped to negotiate a truce.

Lieberman, who leads the ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, a main coalition partner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, told Israel Radio that Hamas would use any lull to regroup before another round of fighting.