A ceasefire took place officially in Gaza late Wednesday after Egyptian Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State announced from Cairo that the Zionist entity and Hamas agreed on a truce.

A ceasefire took place officially in Gaza late Wednesday after Egyptian Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State announced from Cairo that the Zionist entity and Hamas agreed on a truce.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Hillary Clinton, Kamel Amr said the cessation of hostilities would begin at 1900 GMT.

The accord calls on the Zionist entity to "stop all hostilities... in the land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals" and the Palestinian factions urged to end "rocket attacks and all attacks along the border".
According to the text, if the ceasefire holds, within 24 hours, the Zionist entity would be required to open crossings and allow the movement of people and goods across the Gaza frontier.

"This is a critical moment for the region," Clinton said as she welcomed the agreement. "In the days ahead, the United States will work with partners in the region to consolidate this progress."

Nearly 24 hours after a truce had been expected to take hold, and after a day of violence that killed another 17 Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was “prepared to give peace a chance.”

"Netanyahu spoke with (US) President Barack Obama and agreed to his recommendation to give a chance to an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire and thereby give an opportunity for the stabilization of the situation and a calming of it," said a statement, which added that the agreement won him praise from Obama.

"The president commended the prime minister for agreeing to the Egyptian ceasefire proposal, which the president recommended the prime minster do, while reiterating that Israel maintains the right to defend itself," the White House said.