GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A ceasefire agreement took effect at 4 a.m. on Wednesday between the Palestinian political factions in Gaza and Israel.
An initial ceasefire agreement, under Egyptian sponsorship, was made at 12 a.m and postponed till 2 a.m before finally taking effect at 4 a.m.
The ceasefire came after days of
fire exchange across Israel and Gaza, with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements launching at least 28 rockets into Israel, and Israel conducting several airstrikes in Gaza, killing at least four Palestinian fighters.
Member of the Hamas movement’s politburo, Khalil al-Hayyeh, said in a statement that the agreement was reached to ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and that “the factions would commit to the agreement as long as Israel commits.”
Israeli airstrikes and mortars fired from Gaza came to a halt after the agreement, though an Israeli military aircraft remained above the Gaza Strip.
Some ten sites across the Gaza Strip were targeted by Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, while the armed wings of Palestinian factions responded with rockets targeting Israeli towns surrounding the Gaza Strip.
