Netanyahu’s office announces ‘mutual and simultaneous’ truce to begin within hours
Israeli and Palestinian militants have agreed to a ceasefire ending an 11-day conflict which has cost more than 230 lives in Gaza and 12 in Israel, after days of international pressure to stop the bloodshed.
The ceasefire came into effect at 2am local time on Friday, after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced late on Thursday that the cabinet had unanimously approved the “mutual and unconditional” ceasefire proposed by Egypt which had been mediating talks.