Gaza and Israel to begin new ceasefire at 21:00GMT
A deal to bring a ceasefire to the war-strewn city of Gaza was reached in Cairo, with the truce set to begin at 21:00 GMT.
Negotiations under Egyptian mediation finally looked to have convinced Palestinians and Israelis to broker a truce and bring the seven-week long conflict to a halt, with Gaza opening its blockaded crossings with Israel and Egypt while its fishing zone in the Mediterranean is set to be widened.
"An agreement has been reached between the two sides and we are awaiting the announcement from Cairo to determine the zero hour for implementation," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri was quoted as saying by Reuters.
A spokesperson for the Popular Resistance Committees, one of the Palestinian militant groups behind the rocket attacks against Israel, confirmed the announcement could be made at around 17:00 GMT.
Israel and Palestine are also set to discuss the construction of a sea port in the enclave as well as the release of Hamas prisoners, currently held in the West Bank.
Officials said the second phase of the negotiating process would begin only next month, once both Israel and Egypt will have been guaranteed that weapons won't be smuggled into Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment, but both parties were under intense pressure to stop what has, in less than two months, become an increasingly bloody conflict.
Six Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, bringing the total Palestinian victims to 2,129 since 8 July, while 64 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have also lost their lives.
Hamas called Israel's offensive an "unprecedented act of revenge against civilians", while Israeli officials said the militant group should shoulder responsibility for civilian victims, for it uses mosques and schools as launch sites for rockets and as deposits for artillery and arms.
DC