Hamas has told Egypt that it might declare a period of calm with Israel in a few hours, a source close to the Islamic Hamas movement told Xinhua late Thursday night.

The source said on condition of anonymity that Hamas has informed the Egyptian mediators that they will agree to a period of calm with Israel on one condition that the Jewish state stops aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Hamas officials are not available for confirmation at the moment.

Israel launched a massive military operation on Gaza at the end of the year 2008, aiming at preventing Gaza militants from firing rockets at southern Israeli communities.

The military campaign lasted for 22 days, before Israel and the Palestinian factions in Gaza, mainly the Islamic Hamas, announced unilateral ceasefires respectively.

Since the end of the war, Egypt has been mediating between Israel and Hamas to achieve a long-term ceasefire.