JERUSLAEM – A ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel andPalestinians with mediation of Egypt and Qatar to end a surge of violencein the Gaza Strip and southern Israel.
Gaza officials confirmed the deal and said no Israeli air raids on thePalestinian territory have been reported since the deal came into effect.
There was no confirmation from the Israeli side. However, the Israeli armyearly today lifted all protective restrictions imposed near the Gaza areaduring the weekend’s flare-up that led to the deaths of at least 25Palestinians and four Israelis.
The death toll from Israel’s two-day military onslaught against Gaza Striprose to 27 today after two more bodies were pulled from the rubble.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the two bodies belong to the husbandand wife who were martyred in their home in northern Gaza on Sunday by anIsraeli attack.
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On Saturday and Sunday, the Israeli military pounded Gaza with airstrikesand artillery barrages, while Gaza-based resistance factions responded byfiring rockets towards southern Israel.
The violence ended at dawn today after the ceasefire came into effect.
