A ceasefire has come into force in the Gaza Strip after Egypt brokered an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt 11 days of conflict. Thousands of people in Gaza and the Palestinian territories poured onto the streets to celebrate the ceasefire, waving flags and flashing “V” signs for victory. Since the fighting began on May 10, health officials in Gaza say more than 230 Palestinians, including 65 children and 39 women, have been killed and more than 1,900 wounded in aerial bombardments. Israel says it has killed at least 160 combatants in Gaza. Authorities put the death toll in Israel at 12, with hundreds of people treated for injuries in rocket attacks that have caused panic and sent people rushing into shelters. Israel said some 4,000 rockets have been launched at it from Gaza, some falling short and others shot down by its Iron Dome air defences. Civilians on both sides are exhausted by fear and grief, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. "People in Gaza and Israel urgently need respite from non-stop hostilities," said Fabrizio Carboni, regional director for the Middle East. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed earlier in the day that UN Middle East Envoy Tor Wennesland was in Qatar. US President Joe Biden also discussed Gaza with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying Washington's “strategic approach" remained "to communicate directly, stay closely interlocked with the Israelis, with partners on the ground, to do everything we can to bring an end to the conflict”. She added that the US had held "more than 80 engagements with senior leaders in Israel, the Palestinian Authority and across the region”.
