Egyptian-mediated ceasefire has been reached between Palestinians and Israel

After a weekend of some the worst cross border violence in recent years between Israel and Palestinian in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials have said an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire has been reached with Israel.

The truce is set to begin within hours as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins.
Despite reports of a ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza terror groups, Israeli authorities decide to keep schools in southern Israel closed today.

All educational institutions within a 40 kilometer (25 mile) radius of Gaza will remain shut.

Palestinian sources say a truce has been reached and gone into effect from 04:30. Israel has no comment.

Over the last three days rockets and missiles from Gaza have killed four civilians in Israel, while Israeli strikes have killed at least 20 Palestinians – more than half of them civilians.

Israeli military said the airstrikes in Gaza were in retaliation for rocket fire in southen Israel. On Sunday night a rocket hit a house in Ashkelon killing a 58 year.old man He was the first such Israeli civilian fatality since the 2014.

Another died in a rocket attack in Ashdod.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said his group was not seeking a broader conflict and held out the possibility of a ceasefire, although sirens warning of rocket fire continued to sound in Israeli cities into the night.
An Islamic Jihad official says the truce agreement is based on Israel easing its blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Among the steps, he says, are the easing of limits on fishing and improvements in Gaza’s electricity and fuel situation.

Via Haaretz/Jerusalem Post/ Euronews