U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon announced on Thursday that Israel and Hamas had reached a 72-hour cease-fire, the first major breakthrough in a conflict that has resulted in the deaths of 1,400 Palestinians and 59 Israelis.
The cease-fire — described as an unconditional, humanitarian cease-fire — will reportedly commence at 8 a.m. local time on Friday.
Some more details about the surprise agreement from The New York Times:
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"During this time the forces on the ground will remain in place," said the announcement, meaning that Israeli troops who have entered Gaza can remain. As soon as it takes hold, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will head to Cairo for talks. [The New York Times]
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