Israel and Hamas agree to 72-hour ceasefire
Israel and Hamas have both agreed to a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire brokered by the United Nations.
A statement posted to the Facebook page of the U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro laid out the details of the ceasefire. It will last for 72 hours beginning at 8 a.m. local time August 1. Israeli forces will remain on the ground in the Gaza Strip during this time.
Both Israel and Hamas provided assurances they would adhere to the ceasefire's terms to the representative of the UN in Jerusalem, Special Coordinator Robert Serry. The New York Times reports that a Hamas official in Lebanon reiterated Hamas' support for the break in violence.
The statement also says that representatives of both Hamas and Israel will travel to Cairo at the invitation of the Egyptian government. The hope is that the Egyptians, with the help of the UN and the United States, will be able to broker a more permanent truce.
The statement also called for both Israel and Hamas to exercise the utmost restraint in the hours leading up to the ceasefire's start.
The relief cannot come soon enough for the people of the Gaza Strip. More than 1,400 Gazans have been killed and thousands wounded. On the Israeli side, 56 soldiers and two Israeli civilians have been killed.
The break in hostilities will also benefit Israel, which has come under withering criticism from its staunchest ally, the United States.
The criticism has its roots in attacks on designated UN shelters by the Israeli military, despite numerous warnings about the locations of those shelters. Israeli forces have attacked two schools being used as shelters in as many weeks. Each attack left around 20 people dead.
While the ceasefire is certainly progress, Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking from India, tried to temper any premature optimism the agreement would lead to a lasting peace.
In remarks reported by The Associated Press, Kerry said, "This is not a time for congratulations or joy or anything except a serious determination - a focus by everybody to try to figure out the road ahead. This is a respite. It is a moment of opportunity, not an end."
