Israel's security cabinet decided on Tuesday morning to accept an Egyptian ceasefire proposal to end the week- long shelling war in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office.

According to the proposal, the ceasefire came into effect from 9:00 am local time (0600 GMT) Tuesday and will last for 48 hours. The two sides will be invited to Cairo to come to a detailed agreement.

The proposal called on Israel to end all hostilities in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip enclave and to refrain from launching a ground offensive, while Hamas will stop launching rockets into Israel.

But Hamas rejected the idea, saying an agreement need to be reached first.

"We reject any ceasefire before reaching a truce agreement," Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in an emailed press statement, adding that Hamas is still under occupation and resistance is the right of their people to defend themselves.

Abu Zuhri also denied receiving any official initiative from any side. "If the published text of this initiative is correct, we only say that this is an initiative of subordination and submission, al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) totally and completely rejects it," said the statement.

Since July 8, Israel has been engaged in a large-scale aerial operation against the Gaza Strip, where Israeli war jets have carried out hundreds of intensive airstrikes on targets that belong to Hamas and other militant groups in the coastal enclave.

The Gaza-based health ministry said the operation has killed 187 people, wounded 1,390 others, and destroyed more than 250 houses.