Israel and Hamas agree Gaza ceasefire

Israel and Hamas agree ceasefire to halt Israel’s 11-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Israel and Hamas have agreed a ceasefire as of 2am on Friday (2300 GMT Thursday), an official with the Palestinian group said, bringing a potentially tenuous halt to 11 days of fighting. Israel’s security cabinet said it had voted unanimously in favour of a “mutual and unconditional” Gaza truce proposed by mediator Egypt, but added that the hour of implementation had yet to be agreed. The development came a day after US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek de-escalation, and amid mediation bids by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.