Israel's military said today it had lifted restrictions imposed to protect residents of southern Israel, and Islamic extremist Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, announced a ceasefire had been reached to end the bloodiest conflict between the two sides since a 2014 war.
In the escalation of violence, 23 people were killed in Gaza, both extremists and civilians, while on the Israeli side, four civilians were killed in rocket fire from that Palestinian territory.
Islamic Jihad, the extremist organization that Israel has accused of inciting the latest violence, confirmed that the "joint and simultaneous" ceasefire was brokered by Egypt.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Egyptian mediators, along with officials from Qatar and the UN, helped broker the deal.
He warned, however, that Hamas can still use "various means of pressure" on Israel in order to ease the crippling blockade that the country imposed together with Egypt back in 2007.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assessed that "the campaign is not over and requires patience and assessment."
Fierce clashes that began on Saturday with a barrage of rocket fire from Gaza stopped early this morning and residents on both sides of the border returned to their daily routines.
The Israeli army announced its decision, saying: "From 7.00:XNUMX all protective restrictions on civilian protection will be lifted."
Palestinian officials said earlier this morning that a ceasefire agreement had been reached with Israel to end the latest escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israeli territory.
"The cease-fire will begin today at 4.30:XNUMX a.m.," said an unnamed Palestinian official familiar with the deal, according to Israeli media.
Another official confirmed the deal, as did the TV station of Hamas, the Islamic extremist organization that rules Gaza.
France Press states that one of the officials who confirmed the ceasefire is from Hamas, and the other is from Islamic Jihad. An anonymous Egyptian official also confirmed the deal.
The Israeli army did not comment on these allegations, but told us that the measures introduced to protect the residents of Israel are being lifted as of 7.00:XNUMX a.m. in the morning. There was no rocket fire or Israeli counterattacks in the meantime.
In two days of clashes not seen since the war between the two sides in 2014, 690 rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel and the Israeli military struck 350 "terrorist targets" in the last 48 hours, it said this morning. The Israeli anti-missile system "Iron Dome" intercepted 240 rockets.
23 people were killed in the Gaza Strip, including two pregnant women, two babies and nine extremists.
Four Israelis were killed in the rocket fire on the Israeli side.
Israeli opposition leader Bani Gantz, the main rival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the April 9 election, criticized the ceasefire agreement.
The former Israeli army commander said that the power of intimidation with Hamas had been lost and that the latest escalation of violence had ended in "another surrender to the blackmail of Hamas and terrorist organizations".
In his opinion, everything the Government of Israel has done is to pave the way for the next round of conflict.
He warned that the response would be harsh if violence resumed.
The Gaza news agency reported that Israel would be bound by the deal to implement earlier understandings reached between the two sides.
Fishing permits will be renewed in a zone 22 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast in Gaza and humanitarian organizations will be allowed to provide aid to Palestinian families in that territory, the agency reported.
US President Donald Trump previously announced his support for Israel on Twitter.
"Once again, Israel is faced with a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by the terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100 percent in its defense of its citizens," Trump wrote.
Even last night, sources close to Hamas said that the next few hours are crucial for achieving calm and that negotiations are being held indirectly in Cairo, through Egypt, and that the decision is in the hands of Israel.
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