A fresh 72-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect in Gaza earlier today, paving the way for talks in Egypt aimed at a end to a month-long conflict that has wreaked devastating bloodshed in the impoverished Gaza Strip.
The agreement, which began at 00:01 am (2101 GMT on Sunday), clinched days of frantic mediation to stem a firestorm of violence that has killed almost 2000 Palestinians
Egypt urged Israel and the Palestinians to use the new truce to “reach a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire,” after an earlier three-day truce collapsed on Friday.
“Israel has accepted the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire,” an Israeli official told the media shortly after a Palestinian source confirmed accepting the initiative.
