Palestinian leaders in Gaza agreed to a ceasefire with Israel yesterday to end a deadly two-day escalation in violence that threatened to widen into war.
The Israeli military lifted protective restrictions for the country’s south, signalling a ceasefire deal and there appeared to have been no rocket fire or Israeli strikes after it took effect.
Egypt brokered the agreement to cease hostilities from 4.30am (11.30am AEST), an official from the strip’s Islamist rulers Hamas and another from its allied group Islamic Jihad said.
The deal came after the most serious flare-up in violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza since a 2014 war.
The escalation began on Saturday with massive rocket fire from Gaza, drawing waves of Israeli retaliatory strikes, and continued throughout Sunday.
At least 23 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed. Four civilians in Israel were killed, at least three of them Israeli citizens.
The flare-up came as Hamas sought further steps from Israel towards easing its blockade under a previous ceasefire brokered by Egypt and the UN.
Israel faced pressure to seek to restore calm and put an end to the rocket fire hitting communities in the country’s south.
It commemorates its memorial and independence days later this week and is due to host the Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv on May 14-18.
On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is set to begin. Palestinian officials in Gaza accused Israel of not taking steps to ease its blockade as promised under previous ceasefire deals.
Read the article in The Australian (AFP).