Israel, Hamas agree to 72-hour ceasefire in Gaza
The rubble of a house in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza hit by a presumed Israeli strike, killing a girl of eight and injuring 29 others. Photo: EPA
(VOVworld) - Israel and Hamas agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire in Gaza starting at 8am Tuesday local time. The ceasefire proposed by Egypt will be followed by negotiations in Cairo on ending the four-week war. Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zuhri confirmed Hamas’ agreement to Egypt’s proposal. An Israeli official said Tel Aviv will also respect this ceasefire and an Israeli delegation will be sent to Cairo for negotiation. The new ceasefire began as a 24-hour ceasefire to allow the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit Gaza Strip and was expanded to a 72-hour ceasefire with a possibility of being extended even more. During the ceasefire, an Israeli delegation will negotiate extended ceasefire conditions with Palestinian representatives. Palestinians insist that any deal must include opening the border gates to the Gaza Strip and returning Palestinian prisoners.