Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire in their conflict in the Gaza Strip.<br /><br />A UN spokesperson said the ceasefire will begin on Friday at 8 a.m. local time (7 a.m. Central European Time).<br /><br />The statement said “forces on the ground will remain in place” during the three-day truce, implying that Israeli ground forces would not withdraw.<br /><br />.
