The Israeli government has recently ordered the Israeli army to "exercise restraint" in operations in the Gaza Strip, pursuant to what a senior government official described "new rules of the game" forged in the aftermath of last week's the recent carnage in Gaza Strip.
According to Haaretz, the Israeli official credited these rules, under which Israel will not attack Gaza Strip as long as Hamas does not fire at Israel, with the recent lull in violence. In fact, the number of rockets fired from Gaza Strip has declined sharply in recent days: Since last Friday, Palestinians have fired only three Qassam rockets at Israel, compared to some 50 a day during the previous week.
The Israeli official, however, noted that there is no formal agreement with Hamas. Rather, he said, unofficial rules were formulated during U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit last week, via a series of messages, both open and secret, exchanged by Israel and Hamas. Rice reportedly conveyed a proposal for resuming the lull that Hamas had transmitted via Egypt, and on her departure last Wednesday.
