On the basis of its responsibility and political and diplomatic weight in the Middle East region, Egypt is not reluctant in its tireless endeavour to calm the situation in the

Palestinian-Israeli arena. In an effort to stop the war in the Gaza Strip, Reuters quoted Egyptian sources as saying that Cairo had requested a ceasefire in Gaza, effective 7 GMT T T on Sunday.

According to an Egyptian security source whose name Reuters did not disclose, Israel agreed to the armistice proposal in Gaza.

The source noted that "Cairo is seeking a Palestinian response to the armistice proposal".

In the same context, Reuters quoted a Palestinian official as saying that the ceasefire in Gaza would come into force this evening.

Sirens were sounded in the city of Be 'er Sheva for the first time since Israel's military operation against the Jihad movement in Gaza.

The Israeli authorities also asked residents of the Negev cities to go to shelters.

On Sunday, the Israeli army announced that it was launching shelling at all Jihad rocket fire sites in Gaza.

The Israeli army considered that its bombing was a response to continued rocket fire from Gaza towards Israel.

The Israeli announcement coincided with rockets launched from the Gaza Strip towards the city of Ashkelon.

For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that the number of victims of the Israeli raids had risen to 31, including 6 children and 4 women, and that 265 were injured.

The Israeli military said earlier on Sunday that the Iron Dome Air Defense System had dropped 97 percent of the rockets it tried to tackle during the explosion of fighting in Gaza since last weekend.

An Israeli military spokesman reported that the defence system had intercepted 97 percent of these rockets during the escalation of fighting with "jihad" activists in Gaza since Friday, calling it "the best performance of the system so far."

"We are working to improve our capabilities all the time," he told Reuters, noting that "Jihad" had fired 580 rockets into Israel as of Sunday morning.

According to the spokesman, about 20 percent of the 580 rockets landed inside Gaza while the rest reached the outskirts of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.