The fighting eased in Gaza on Sunday after Hamas endorsed the UN call for a 24 hour humanitarian truce given the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, however the prospects of a lasting ceasefire remained low.
Limited firing of rockets by Hamas and artillery gun fire by Israel continued to take place despite the humanitarian truce, Al Jazeera reported.
In a phone call to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the US President Barack Obama on Sunday reiterated the need for an "immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire" Reuters reported.
"Ultimately, any lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must ensure the disarmament of terrorist groups and the demilitarization of Gaza," he was quoted by the news agency as saying.
On Saturday, Hamas rejected the truce, calling for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
"Any humanitarian calm that does not include the withdrawal of occupation soldiers from the Gaza Strip and enable the people to return to their houses and to evacuate the wounded is not acceptable," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
Tens of thousands of Pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of capital cities worldwide this weekend, accusing Israel of a genocide.
Hundreds of Israelis gathered in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv on Saturday, calling for peace and condemning the killing of civilians.
Limited firing of rockets by Hamas and artillery gun fire by Israel continued to take place despite the humanitarian truce, Al Jazeera reported.
In a phone call to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the US President Barack Obama on Sunday reiterated the need for an "immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire" Reuters reported.
"Ultimately, any lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must ensure the disarmament of terrorist groups and the demilitarization of Gaza," he was quoted by the news agency as saying.
On Saturday, Hamas rejected the truce, calling for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
"Any humanitarian calm that does not include the withdrawal of occupation soldiers from the Gaza Strip and enable the people to return to their houses and to evacuate the wounded is not acceptable," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
Tens of thousands of Pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of capital cities worldwide this weekend, accusing Israel of a genocide.
Hundreds of Israelis gathered in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv on Saturday, calling for peace and condemning the killing of civilians.