Leaders of Hamas met officials from the Islamic Jihad and other groups on Monday and said they would respond in future according to how Israel acted — a formulation they have used previously to signal their readiness for a ceasefire.
Israel has shown little appetite for a new Gaza war, which could strain relations with the new Islamist-rooted government in neighboring Egypt. The countries made peace in 1979.
However, Netanyahu will be reluctant to seem weak ahead of a Jan. 22 election that opinion polls currently predict he will win.
Additional reporting by AP
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