Israel and Palestinians reach an apparent ceasefire in Gaza after violent weekend

Palestinian officials said Monday that Hamas and Israel's government have agreed to an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire after at least 27 people — 23 Palestinians and four Israelis — were killed in a weekend of violence. Neither side has officially announced a ceasefire, but Israel lifted protective restrictions near the Gaza border, and residents on both sides of the border returned to their daily routines Monday morning

The violence, the most intense in Gaza since the 50-day war in 2014, began on Friday. Since Saturday, militants in Gaza fired more than 600 rockets into Israel, while Israeli airstrikes hit at least 320 targets in Gaza. The four Israelis were the first civilians killed in rocket attacks since 2014, and two pregnant women and two babies are among the Palestinian casualties.

Neither Israel nor Hamas seemed interested in another prolonged battle, The Associated Press reports. Monday starts the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and later this week, Israel "marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, followed by the festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the popular Eurovision song contest and the backdrop of fighting would have likely overshadowed the occasions and deterred foreign tourists."

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