Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and Israel have agreed to temporarily halt their recent military conflict as requested by the United Nations (UN).
On Thursday, the two sides agreed to hold a five-hour ceasefire in order to allow UN humanitarian aid to enter the besieged Gaza Strip.
“The Palestinian factions agreed to accept the offer from the United Nations for a cooling-down on the ground for five hours starting from 10 in the morning (7 am GMT),” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zukhri said.
The Israeli army also said that it would “cease operational activity within the Gaza Strip and hold its fire.”
The agreement was made a day after the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) warned of a water crisis in Gaza, saying hundreds of thousands of Gazans were without drinking water.
Hospitals in the besieged coastal enclave are also running out of medical supplies.
Robert H. Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, says the deal will help the Gazans in need of medical treatment to go to hospitals.
Hamas earlier rejected an Egyptian offer for a ceasefire with Tel Aviv, saying Israel has to recognize the Palestinian national unity government – which includes members of Hamas and Fatah factions – and fully lift the blockade on Gaza.
As of the start of the temporary ceasefire, the Israeli regime had killed at least 227 people and injured 1,685 others as part of military operations it launched against Gaza ten days ago. About a third of the Palestinian fatalities are women and children.
Hamas had been responding to the full-force Israeli attacks by firing rockets into Israel.
