Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip have agreed to a U.N.-requested 12-hour humanitarian truce to begin on Saturday morning, amidst hectic efforts to secure a long-term cease-fire.
Israel’s military said it would hold fire starting at 8 am (0500 GMT) but would continue searching for tunnels used by militants. A spokesman for the Islamist group Hamas, that rules the Gaza Strip, said all Palestinian factions would abide by the brief truce.
Fighting continued overnight as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, on a visit to the region, has been spearheading international efforts to end 19 days of fighting.
Gaza officials said five people were killed in Israeli air strikes, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 865, most of them civilians.
Earlier, militants fired a barrage of rockets out of Gaza, triggering sirens across much of southern and central Israel. No injuries were reported, with the Iron Dome interceptor system knocking out many of the missiles.
Israel on Friday rejected international proposals for a more permanent ceasefire.
