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1st August 2014
07:20am BST

Israel and Hamas have begun an unconditional 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and US secretary of state John Kerry announced the temporary break in fighting in a joint statement this morning and it began at 5am Irish time.
Israeli and Palestinian delegations will travel to Cairo immediately, at the invitation of Egypt, in a bid to negotiate a resolution after over three weeks of fighting. More than 1,450 Palestinians have died, mostly civilians, since the conflict began, health officials say. 61 Israeli soldiers, two civilians and a Thai national have also been killed. Israel says its operation in Gaza is designed to defend themselves from attacks by Palestinian militants. Hamas wants a blockade of Gaza, maintained by both Israel and Egypt, to be lifted. Hat-tip to BBC News.Explore more on these topics: