Both the Israeli military and Hamas resistance have reportedly agreed to a 72-hour temporary cessation of military operations within the Gaza Strip.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a joint statement, according to Haaretz, that the ceasefire will begin at 8AM local time (0500 GMT) on Friday, August the 1st.
‘We urge all parties to act with restraint until this humanitarian ceasefire begins, and to fully abide by their commitments during the ceasefire,’ said the statement.
‘This ceasefire is critical to giving innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence.’
Israeli ground forces are to remain in place during the temporary truce.
