Tel Aviv/Cairo - The Palestinian militant grpi[ Hamas has offered Israel a six-month ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, media reports in Israel said late Thursday.

The ceasefire would have to be a mutual arrangement and lead to an end of the Israeli blockade and the opening of all border crossings to the Gaza Strip, the high-ranking Hamas member Mahmud Sahar was quoted as saying in Cairo by Israeli media.

Islamic Jihad and other militant Palestinian organizations have agreed to the ceasefire, the former Palestinian foreign minister added after meeting with Egyptian government representatives. (dpa)