Egypt proposes Israel-Gaza ceasefire

Egypt has proposed a ceasefire to end a week of cross-border fire between the Gaza Strip and Israel, the BBC reported. 

The initiative urges a ceasefire starting imminently followed by a series of meetings in Cairo with high-level delegations from both sides.

However an official from Hamas, which controls Gaza, said a full deal would have to come first, before a ceasefire.

Israeli officials said PM Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet would discuss the proposal early on Tuesday.

Palestinian officials say at least 185 people in Gaza have been killed by Israeli air strikes since the offensive began last Tuesday. The UN estimates that over three-quarters of these were civilians.

Israel says nearly 1,000 rockets have been fired from Gaza in that time. No Israelis have been killed although several have been injured.

A senior Israeli official told the BBC that Hamas was "much weaker" after air strikes destroyed many of its rockets and manufacturing facilities.

The ceasefire calls come ahead of an urgent meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo.

Hamas, the faction that controls Gaza, confirmed that truce efforts were under way.

But a Hamas official told the AFP news agency that a political agreement must be reached before a ceasefire could take effect.

"A ceasefire without reaching an agreement is rejected. In times of war, you don't cease fire and then negotiate," said spokesperson Fawzi Barhum.