Ceasefire takes effect between Israel, Palestinian group

An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad took effect late on Sunday at 11:30 pm local time (2030GMT).

The ceasefire agreement came after three days of Israeli air strikes on Gaza, which left at least 44 Palestinians, including 15 children dead and over 360 others injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Egypt also called on both sides to observe a mutual and comprehensive truce in Gaza at that time.

An official Egyptian source cited by the state news agency MENA said Egypt was exerting efforts to release Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh and transport him for treatment, as well as Bassam al Saadi, who is also in Israeli detention.

Palestine's Islamic Jihad in Gaza have confirmed earlier that they agreed to a Cairo-brokered truce after three days of intense aggression by Israel that has left at least 44 Palestinians in Gaza dead.

"A short while ago the wording of the Egyptian truce agreement was reached, which contains Egypt's commitment to work towards the release of two prisoners, (Bassem) al Saadi and (Khalil) Awawdeh," senior Islamic Jihad member Mohammad al Hindi said in a statement on Sunday.

Separately, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Palestinian Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh discussed Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Al Aqsa Mosque raids in a phone call.

Dozens of Palestinians killed

At least 44 Palestinians were reported dead on Sunday, including 15 children, according to the Health Ministry.

The latest Israeli aggression since Friday has also left at least 360 civilians wounded, said the health authorities in Gaza, where several buildings were reduced to rubble.

Meanwhile, the United Nations' Humanitarian Coordinator in the occupied Palestinian territories, Lynn Hastings, called for an immediate halt to escalation and violence in Gaza.

In a statement on Sunday, Hastings said Gaza's humanitarian situation "is already dire and can only worsen" with the current escalation.

“Hostilities must stop to avoid more deaths and injuries of civilians in Gaza and Israel,” she added.

The humanitarian coordinator reiterated the UN appeal to all sides "for an immediate de-escalation and halt to violence to avoid destructive ramifications, particularly for civilians."

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