Israel and Hamas have begun a 12-hour humanitarian truce in Gaza. Israel said it would continue to “locate and neutralise” Hamas tunnels during the pause, which began at 08:00 local time (05:00 GMT). International talks on a longer truce resume later. In Gaza, some Palestinians were seen on the streets, some attempting to visit their homes in badly hit areas. More than 870 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 38 Israelis have died since the conflict started on 8 July. Israeli strikes killed at least 19 Palestinians overnight, medical sources said, with many casualties reported in a family home near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed, Israel’s military confirmed. ‘Astonishing scene’: Ian Pannell, BBC News, Gaza City In the district of Shejaiya, residents started flooding back from 08:00 despite warnings not to do so. The scene here is just astonishing – the most widespread destruction: buildings completely pulverised, cars thrown 50m (160ft) into the air on top of buildings, the facades of some block of flats completely ripped off. The air is pretty thick with the stench of death as people try to recover bodies and belongings. In the background I can hear a crackle of gunfire and although a humanitarian ceasefire is in place, clearly people are still shooting. There is an Israeli drone flying overhead, and we’ve heard the sound of fighter jets. I think people feel they have a brief window of opportunity to do as much as they can and then frankly get out of here. Follow Ian Pannell’s tweets from Gaza In the hours before the truce was declared, a baby was delivered alive after her mother was killed ‘Confident of ceasefire’ A spokesman for Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri said late on Friday that there was “national consensus on a humanitarian truce… for 12 hours on Saturday”. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed the truce on Twitter but vowed to respond if attacked. “We will respond if terrorists choose to exploit this time to attack IDF personnel or fire at Israeli civilians,” it said in a statement. Banks are due to open and maintenance work is being carried out to try to repair damage done to the electricity and water supplies during the recent intense Israeli bombardment, she adds. Despite failure on Friday to agree a longer-term deal, foreign ministers from the US, UK, Turkey and Qatar are among those meeting in Paris later for more talks. On Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said he was still confident of a longer ceasefire, despite media reports that Israel had rejected one proposal. “The goal is to bring together international efforts so that as quickly as possible conditions for a cease-fire in Gaza emerge,” said a French foreign ministry spokesman. The announcement of the humanitarian truce came shortly after Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon warned that ground operations in Gaza could soon be broadened “significantly”. Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli security forces in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, as Orla Guerin reports Mr Yaalon told soldiers: “You need to be ready for the possibility that very soon we will instruct the military to significantly broaden the ground operation in Gaza”. Hamas has previously said it would not agree to any long-term truce that did not lead to an end to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has been in place since 2007. The British ambassador to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, said he was disappointed at the failure to reach a longer-term truce. But he welcomed Saturday’s 12-hour pause, saying it could “open up a little bit of space to work on a more sustainable ceasefire”. There were also clashes during protests in the West Bank on Friday which left at least five Palestinians dead. Palestinians in the West Bank had declared a “Day of Rage” against Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile Israel’s military said its Iron Dome defence system had intercepted several rockets fired across the border by Hamas. Israel launched its military offensive on 8 July with the declared objective of stopping Hamas firing rockets into Israel. It has since extended its operation to destroy tunnels dug by militants to infiltrate Israel. –Source :BBC online
