Enemies begged for a ceasefire: Israeli PM defends Gaza ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended his decision to accept a ceasefire after the worst escalation with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since a 2014 war.

"In times of emergency, when making decisions crucial to security, the public can't always be privy to the considerations that must be hidden from the enemy," he said at a ceremony in honour of Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion.

"Our enemies begged for a ceasefire and they knew very well why." The deal has provoked criticism from within Netanyahu's government as well as from Israelis who live near the Gaza Strip and want further action against its Islamist rulers Hamas.