Relative calm in Gaza after ceasefire

An Egyptian and UN-mediated ceasefire agreement has been reached with Israel to end its deadly assault on Gaza which killed at least 25 Palestinians.

Hamas TV reported on the agreement which was confirmed by a Palestinian official during the early hours of Monday morning.

It comes after Israel's fatal bombardment of Gaza for three straight days.

TRT World spoke to Nizar Sadawi in Gaza for more.

Israeli army lifts restrictions

The Israeli army on Monday lifted protective restrictions on residents in southern Israel, signalling a deal had been reached to end the bloodiest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war.

The Israeli military announced its decision, saying: "As of 7 am, all protective restrictions in the home front will be lifted."

Israel killed at least 25 Palestinians including two women and two children during the strikes.

At least 154 Palestinians were also wounded during the attacks.

In a targeted attack on Sunday, Israel assassinated Hamed Ahmed Al Khodary, a member of Gaza's governing political party, Hamas.

The attack on his car was the first such killing by Israel of a senior Hamas member in Gaza since the war five years ago. 

Israel had previously suspended its assassination policy in a bid to lower tensions with Palestine.

Refugee camps

Israeli warplanes did not stop there as they began targeting the al Bureij and al Shati refugee camps in Gaza with a barrage of missiles.

Gaza-based journalist Hind Khoudary has more from the Palestinian enclave. 

Despite killing Palestinian civilians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday ordered further strikes on Gaza.

Some two million Palestinians live in Gaza, whose economy has suffered years of Israeli enforced blockades as well as recent foreign aid cuts.

Unemployment stands at 52 percent, according to the World Bank, and poverty is rampant.

Israel on Sunday also suspended fuel deliveries to Gaza. 

Diesel, including Qatari-donated fuel for Gaza's only power plant, had continued to enter despite the escalation. 

Gaza's lone power station said it was turning off one of its three turbines, worsening chronic power shortages.

Saturday

Explosions shook the enclave, where busy streets were packed with shoppers preparing for Ramadan.

On Saturday, the Gaza health ministry said 14-month old baby Siba Abu Erar, her pregnant mother Filstin Abu Erar and another five Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes.

"The Israeli plane fired a missile near the house and the shrapnel entered the house and hit the poor baby," said her aunt, Ibtessam Abu Arar.

Hamas statement

Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum in a statement said the movement "hails the Palestinian resistance, which defends the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation." 

"The resistance fulfils its national and moral duty towards the Palestinian people, as it is responsible for the safety and security of the Palestinian people."

It added that after the "Israeli occupation shed the blood of the Palestinian people at the Great Return March last Friday, the Palestinian resistance decided to defend the Palestinian people against the Israeli crimes."

Hamas, which governs Gaza said it "holds the Israeli occupation responsible for any repercussions of its crimes, violations, and rejection to implement the ceasefire understandings."

TRT World spoke with Mustafa Fatih Yavuz, who is in occupied East Jerusalem, for more details. 

Anadolu Agency targeted 

A building housing Turkey's state news agency and Turkish charity Yardimeli Dernegi, had also been hit on Saturday.

Several Turkish officials have condemned the attack.

They have called on the international community to act on Israel's 'disproportionate actions'. 

Anadolu Agency's director general and employees "more determined" following Israeli attacks on agency's Gaza office, Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Sunday.

Reaction

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun took to Twitter to condemn the attack.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned Israel's actions in Gaza.

"Israel's hitting Anadolu Agency's office [in Gaza] is an attempt to get rid of the witnesses, a preparation of massacres in Gaza," the Palestinian government said in a statement.

Cairo talks

Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar is in Cairo for talks on efforts to maintain calm along the border and alleviate Israeli enforced hardship in the enclave.

"Egypt has stepped up its efforts with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Israel, but there is no conclusion yet," said a Palestinian official familiar with Cairo’s mediation efforts.

The United Nations has also been part of the Cairo talks.

"The United Nations is working with Egypt and all sides to calm the situation," said UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov. 

Over the past few weeks, Cairo’s mediation had helped persuade Israel to lift some restrictions on the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza and expand the Mediterranean zone where Palestinians can fish to earn living.

But Israel scaled back the fishing zone this week and shut the border crossings entirely on Saturday.