More than three weeks after the start of its assault on Gaza, Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire at 2 a.m. local time (0000 GMT) on Sunday, saying it had achieved all its objectives. Several hours after Israel's announcement, radical Islamic movement Hamas also declared an immediate ceasefire, adding that it was giving Israel a week to withdraw its troops.
"The first step should be the strict observance of the truce, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip," Sergei Lavrov said, addressing the Council of Ambassadors of the League of Arab Nations in Moscow.
Israeli troops were expected to pull out completely of Hamas-controlled Gaza on Tuesday ahead of U.S. president-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.
Israel launched its attack on December 27, targeting Hamas infrastructure in a bid to put an end to rocket attacks by Palestinian militants on Israeli border towns. The military operation left over 1,300 Palestinians dead, the majority of them civilians. Up to 50,000 people have been left homeless in the enclave.
Lavrov added that Russia was ready to continue providing more humanitarian aid to residents of Gaza. Israel controls border crossings into the enclave.
"In January, Russia sent several batches of humanitarian aid to Gaza. A cargo plane with a field hospital is currently on three-hour readiness alert and may be sent there at any time if necessary," Lavrov said.
During an Arab League economic summit on Monday, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah announced that the oil-rich state would contribute $1 billion to the reconstruction of Gaza. During the same summit, Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah pledged an additional $34 million.
The radical Islamic movement Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since June 2007, when it seized control of the enclave of 1.5 million after clashes with the pro-presidential group Fatah.
