UPDATE 1-Islamic Jihad offers Israel terms for Gaza ceasefire

Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad offered terms on Wednesday for an Egyptian-mediated Gaza ceasefire with Israel, saying that if these were not met it could continue cross-border attacks indefinitely.

Fighting erupted after Israel carried out a targeted air strike killing Islamic Jihad's top field commander in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. With ensuing strikes in response to a surge in Palestinian rocket fire, a total of 26 people in Gaza, mostly militants, have died. The terms laid out by Islamic Jihad leader Zeyad al-Nakhala in an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV included Israel ending targeted killings and lethal responses to Gaza border protests, as well as measures to ease the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

Al-Nakhala said he expected to hear Israel's response via Cairo within hours. Should a truce not be agreed, he said, "the (Islamic Jihad armed wing) Jerusalem Brigades is able to manage the battle, and for a long time".