JERUSALEM, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Israel's security cabinet on Wednesday postponed a vote on whether to order the armed forces into the Gaza Strip's urban centres, the planned culmination of a 12-day-old offensive, political sources said.

They said ministers discussed whether to implement the "third stage" of an operation launched on Dec. 27 but decided to defer the decision on whether to approve it to an undisclosed date. (Writing by Dan Williams, Editing by Jeffrey Heller)

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