The Israeli government has confirmed that a ceasefire has been agreed in the Gaza Strip, but that a timeline has not yet been set.
Earlier, a Hamas spokesman said the ceasefire would take effect at 2 a.m. local time on Friday. The agreement was later confirmed by Islamic Jihad.
According to the Israeli government, it was Egypt that proposed the truce, which will be “reciprocal and unconditional.” Israeli media reported that the security council, which met under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unanimously approved the truce on the basis of what an official called “calm versus calm.”
Egyptian television also broadcast that the agreement will be implemented at 2 am, stressing the successful mediation of Cairo.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who earlier had a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Joe Biden, also spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, with whom he discussed developments in the Palestinian Territories and achieving a truce.
Since the start of hostilities on May 10, Gaza health officials say 232 Palestinians (including 65 children and 39 women) have been killed and more than 1,900 wounded. Israel claims to have killed at least 160 fighters in the Palestinian enclave.
In Israel, 12 people were killed and hundreds were injured after rocket attacks caused panic and forced people to flee to shelters for protection.
