GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — A cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants took effect Sunday night in a bid to end nearly three days of violence that has killed dozens of Palestinians.
Egyptian officials had worked to bring the sides to an agreement after the flare-up of fighting that saw Israeli aircraft pound targets in Gaza and militants fire hundreds of rockets that reached deep into Israel.
Rocket fire and airstrikes continued until the scheduled start of the truce at 11:30 p.m. (2030 GMT; 4:30 p.m. EDT).
More than 40 Palestinians were killed, including 15 children and four women, as Israel targeted the militant group Islamic Jihad in what it said was a pre-emptive campaign. Israel said errant Gaza rockets were to blame for some of the deaths.
