GAZA CITY
A new 72-hour ceasefire brokered by Egypt between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel in the blockaded Gaza Strip seems to hold with no breaches reported from either side in the first hours of the truce that went into effect on Monday.
Since Sunday midnight, no statement was issued from the Palestinian factions on new rocket fire at Israeli territory or about fresh Israeli attacks against Gaza.
The Israeli army, for its part, said its troops had not carried out any attack on Gaza as calm prevailed in the first hours of the ceasefire.
However, Anadolu Agency reporters said that Israeli warplanes continued to fly over the embattled enclave overnight.
On Sunday, the Palestinian groups and Israel notified Cairo of endorsing its proposal for a new 72-hour ceasefire in the Gaza Strip starting Monday.
"This truce is aimed at facilitating the movement of humanitarian aid supplies; repairing infrastructure and resuming indirect talks between the two parties in hopes of reaching a permanent, comprehensive ceasefire," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in an earlier statement.
An earlier 72-hour ceasefire, also brokered by Egypt, expired on Friday.
Palestinian factions launched several rockets at Israel as soon as the ceasefire expired, blaming Israel for failure to renew the ceasefire during the Cairo talks.
More than 1939 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza since July 7, while more than 10,000 others injured.
Israel says "Operation Protective Edge" – its deadliest offensive on the Gaza Strip in six years – aims at halting rocket attacks from Gaza.
According to Israeli figures, at least 64 soldiers were killed in battles with Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip and three civilians in rocket attacks.
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