Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced on Monday morning that a ceasefire has been reached with Israel. The ceasefire goes into effect at 4:30 am, the groups said. Israel did not immediately comment on the announcement, but later in the morning the Home Front Command lifted all restrictions for Gaza border residents implying a ceasefire was agreed upon. Hamas said that that "the past few hours saw intensive diplomatic efforts" to achieve a ceasefire agreement. The United Nations, Qatar and Egypt took part in the efforts, Hamas added.Abu Mujahed, spokesman for the Palestinian Resistance Committees, a coalition of various terror groups in the Gaza Strip, confirmed that the ceasefire went into effect at 4:30 am Monday. "The ceasefire agreement was reached on condition that the occupation implements the previous understandings to lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip," he said.Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV confirmed the ceasefire report. A senior Islamic Jihad official in the Gaza Strip also confirmed that a ceasefire has been reached to end the fighting in the Gaza Strip. The agreement, he said, requires Israel to implement the last Egyptian-brokered ceasefire understandings with the Gaza-based groups.
