Egypt has been instrumental in brokering a deal between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas who have been locked in a violent conflict that has left some 250 dead.
By Mohamed Fayed
Israel and the militants, on Thursday evening, agreed to observe a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which came into effect at 2 a.m. local time on Friday.
The agreement, facilitated by regional power Egypt which maintains relations with the Hebrew State and Hamas, is expected to end ten days of clashes, which left at least 232 people dead on the Palestinian side and 12 on the Israelis.
“We have been informed by the Egyptian brothers that an agreement has been reached for a bilateral and simultaneous ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, starting at 2 a.m.,” the political bureau of Hamas said in a statement.
“The Palestinian resistance will respect this agreement, as long as, the occupation (Israel) respects it,’ the statement added.
Egypt will send two delegations to Tel Aviv and the Palestinian territories to ensure compliance with the ceasefire, according to Egyptian diplomatic sources.
As soon as the truce came into effect, Palestinians celebrated in the streets of central Gaza, but also in the occupied West Bank.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued no further warning of rocket attacks.
HA/fss/as/APA