Israel's defence minister resigns over Gaza ceasefire

Israel's defence minister has resigned over the cabinet's decision to accept a ceasefire ending two days of fighting with Palestinian militants in Gaza.

Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, denounced the move as "surrendering to terror".

He also criticised attempts to broker a long-term truce with the Hamas group.

Eight people were killed on Monday and Tuesday as militants fired 460 rockets towards Israel and Israeli forces bombed 160 targets in Gaza.

Israel's security cabinet initially said only that it was ordering the military to continue its operations as required, but Lieberman and another minister appeared to confirm it had agreed to accept a ceasefire when they denied supporting it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the ceasefire decision, saying that "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".

In Gaza, people celebrated the ceasefire, which Hamas portrayed as a victory.

The latest violence began after an Israeli special forces undercover operation in Gaza was exposed on Sunday, triggering clashes that left seven Palestinian militants and one Israeli soldier dead.