Israel declares unilateral Gaza ceasefire

Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert said tonight that Israel will unilaterally halt its 22-day Gaza offensive.

Israeli leaders voted during an emergency security meeting this evening to stop fighting at 2am local time (midnight Irish time) but keep troops on the ground for the time being.

But Hamas said it won’t respect the ceasefire as long as Israel remains inside Gaza.

Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert said in a televised address that Israel's ``goals have been achieved, and even more''.

More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the three weeks of violence, according to Palestinian and UN officials. Thirteen Israelis have also died.