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| Israel and Gaza militants 'agree' truce after clashes | Israel and Gaza militants 'agree' truce after clashes |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A ceasefire has been agreed between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza after four days of deadly clashes, an Egyptian official says. | A ceasefire has been agreed between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza after four days of deadly clashes, an Egyptian official says. |
| The official was quoted as saying that the Egyptian-mediated truce took effect at 01:00 local time (23:00 GMT Monday). | The official was quoted as saying that the Egyptian-mediated truce took effect at 01:00 local time (23:00 GMT Monday). |
| A Hamas official later confirmed to the BBC that the truce had been agreed. | |
| At least 25 Palestinians have died in Israeli air strikes since Friday, reports say. Israel says 35 people were injured in Palestinian rocket attacks. | At least 25 Palestinians have died in Israeli air strikes since Friday, reports say. Israel says 35 people were injured in Palestinian rocket attacks. |
| The Egyptian official - who spoke on condition of anonymity - was quoted by Reuters as saying late on Monday that both Israel and Gaza militants had "agreed to end the current operations". | |
| Shortly afterwards, the Hamas official confirmed the truce. | |
| The official told the BBC that Israel had made an unusual promise to stop targeting militant leaders in Gaza, if rocket attacks on Israel ceased. | |
| Israel has not publicly commented on the reported ceasefire. | |
| The cross-border violence was triggered by an Israeli air strike on Friday that killed a senior leader of the militant group, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), who Israel said had been planning an attack. | The cross-border violence was triggered by an Israeli air strike on Friday that killed a senior leader of the militant group, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), who Israel said had been planning an attack. |
| Militants in Gaza responded quickly by unleashing a barrage of rockets towards southern Israel, triggering further air strikes. | Militants in Gaza responded quickly by unleashing a barrage of rockets towards southern Israel, triggering further air strikes. |
| Most of those killed in Gaza were militants, but several civilians also died, Palestinian medical sources say. | Most of those killed in Gaza were militants, but several civilians also died, Palestinian medical sources say. |
| The US has condemned the rocket attacks as "cowardly"; the Arab League called the Israeli air strikes "a massacre". | The US has condemned the rocket attacks as "cowardly"; the Arab League called the Israeli air strikes "a massacre". |
| UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed grave concern over the flare-up in violence, describing rocket attacks on Israeli civilians as "unacceptable" and urging Israel to "exercise maximum restraint". | UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed grave concern over the flare-up in violence, describing rocket attacks on Israeli civilians as "unacceptable" and urging Israel to "exercise maximum restraint". |
| Islamic Jihad and the PRC - and not Hamas - have said they have been behind the rocket attacks. | Islamic Jihad and the PRC - and not Hamas - have said they have been behind the rocket attacks. |
| The increase in violence has alarmed world powers trying to bring peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis back on track. | The increase in violence has alarmed world powers trying to bring peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis back on track. |