A long-term truce has been agreed between Israelis and Palestinians, after intense negotiations, brokered by Egypt.
Palestinian and Egyptian officials announced the end to 7-weeks of fighting, which killed over 2,200 people, mostly Palestinian civilians.
Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement, “An agreement has been reached between the two sides and we are awaiting the announcement from Cairo to determine the zero hour for implementation.”
Ismail Haniya, the former Hamas prime minister in Gaza, told Al Aqsa television that “we are at the doors of political understandings that will crown our people’s steadfastness and the performance of our armed resistance.”
Israel has so far not confirmed the announcements.
The details of the truce have not yet been made public, but Palestinian officials say that the proposal called for an indefinite end to hostilities, the immediate end to the blockade of Gaza’s border crossings with Israel and Egypt, and an extension of the territory's Mediterranean fishing zone. After a month the Israelis and Palestinians would discuss the constructions of a sea port and the release of political prisoners.
Israel and Egypt are reported to be demanding guarantees that weapons would not be smuggled into the territory.
Both sides have continued to exchange fire with Israel destroying two high-rise tower blocks in Gaza City, destroying dozens of homes and shops and air strikes on Palestinian homes killing 2 people on Tuesday. Meanwhile a rocket barrage by Hamas is reported to have killed one Israeli civilian in Eshkelon, according to the BBC.