Palestinian militant groups in Gaza agreed on Tuesday to halt cross-border attacks immediately if Israel did the same, officials said. The statement came after the most serious exchanges of aerial fire since a 2014 war. Palestinian factions “have agreed to hold fire on condition Israel abides by this,” said a Palestinian official familiar with Egyptian truce efforts. Another Palestinian official, asked when a ceasefire might start, said: “Immediately, should Israel reciprocate.” The Hamas political bureau said that its chairman Ismail Haniyeh said on Tuesday “it is possible to return to a mutual understanding on the ceasefire” if Israel stopped “aggression.” Israel’s security cabinet had said it ordered the military to continue strikes in Gaza “as required,” indicating they would be calibrated in response to Palestinian attacks, according to Reuters.