Israel, Palestinian groups agree to Gaza truce

GAZA/JERUSALEM — Israel and Hamas entered into a “mutual and simultaneous” Gaza truce that takes effect at 2 a.m. on Friday (2300 GMT Thursday), a Hamas official told Reuters.

Israeli media reported on Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet had approved the truce, on the basis of what one official was quoted as calling “quiet in exchange for quiet.”

The ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas as well as Islamic Jihad ends 11 days of conflict. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are the two main Palestinian armed groups.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office said the security cabinet had “unanimously accepted the recommendations to accept an Egyptian initiative for an unconditional… ceasefire.”

Hamas and Islamic Jihad then confirmed the ceasefire in a statement.