72-Hour Cease-Fire in Gaza Takes Effect
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A 72-hour cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) went into effect Friday, as a diplomatic push for a more durable end to almost four weeks of bloodshed gained pace.
As the humanitarian truce began at 0500 GMT, the skies over the Gaza Strip fell silent, although in the preceding two hours there was heavy Israeli fire and the sound of outgoing rockets.
Earlier, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that once the cease-fire was under way, Israeli and Palestinian representatives, including from Hamas, would begin more durable truce talks in Cairo, in a move confirmed by Egypt.
But Israeli forces would remain inside Gaza, he added, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will dismantle the Hamas tunnel network in the Gaza Strip "with or without a cease-fire."
Earlier, the emergency services said 14 Palestinians died in Israeli attacks, including a woman and at least two children who were killed by Iraeli tank fire in the southern Gaza Strip early Friday, and the Israeli army said five of its soldiers died in mortar fire near the border with the Palestinian enclave.
While the cease-fire was accepted by Hamas, the main power in Gaza, a spokesman for the movement stressed it was dependent on Israel reciprocating.
"Hamas and all the resistance movements have accepted a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire from 8:00am Friday which will be respected by all these movements if the other party also observes the cease-fire," said Fawzi Barhum.
A source in the office of Netanyahu said, "Israel has accepted the US/UN proposal for a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire beginning 8:00 am Friday."
The 14 Palestinians, who were killed by Israeli tank fire in the southern Gaza Strip early Friday, included a woman and at least two children, the emergency services said.
Six of them were killed in an Israeli air strike in the same area.
Their deaths bring the toll on the Palestinian side to 1,450 since the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip began on July 8.
UN figures show about two-thirds of the victims were civilians, drawing sharp criticism from around the world.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said that "five soldiers were killed during operational activity along the border with the Gaza Strip when a mortar was fired at the forces."
Their deaths bring the Israeli military toll to 61, since the beginning of "Operation Protective Edge," it added.
