Israel, Palestinians agree ceasefire from Sunday evening: sources

Israel and Palestine have agreed to a truce in Gaza from Sunday evening as mediated by Cairo, sources said, after a weekend-long Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

An Egyptian security source said Israel had agreed to the proposal, while a Palestinian official familiar with Egyptian efforts said the ceasefire would go into effect at 1700 GMT.

Spokespeople for Israel and Palestine did not confirm this, saying only that they were in contact with Cairo.

Gaza officials said 31 Palestinians, at least a third of them civilians, had so far been killed by Israeli bombardment.

Daily life in the strip has come to a standstill, while the electricity distributor said the sole power station shut down due to a lack of fuel after Israel closed its border crossings.

Gaza’s health ministry said the next few hours will be “crucial and difficult”, warning it risked suspending vital services within 72 hours as a result of the lack of electricity.

Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza marks the latest bout of violence since the 11-day war in May 2021 killed hundreds and wounded thousands.