Cease-fire in Gaza Conflict announced

70 photos

UPDATE as of 12:42 p.m. EST: A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas has been announced for later this evening, Reuters reports.

The Israel-Hamas conflict entered in its eighth day of fighting after a bomb exploded Wednesday morning on a bus in Tel Aviv, prompting Israel to continue air strikes over Gaza. The hard-sought “calming down” from yesterday never reached an agreement as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seeks a diplomatic solution with leaders on both sides of the conflict.

Here’s the latest look into the Gaza conflict from AFP, Getty and Reuters photographers in the region. | NOTE: Some photos are graphic showing visual coverage of injury or death.

More Gaza conflict coverage from The Darkroom:


Egyptian-brokered Hamas-Israel ceasefire takes hold
Marwa Awad and Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters
3:49 p.m. EST, November 21, 2012

CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) – Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement ruling the Gaza Strip agreed on Wednesday to an Egyptian-sponsored ceasefire to halt an eight-day conflict that killed 162 Palestinians and five Israelis.

Both sides fought right up to 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) when hostilities were due to stop, with several explosions shaking Gaza City and rockets hitting the Israeli city of Beersheba.

Even after the deadline passed, a dozen rockets from Gaza landed in Israel, all in open areas, a police spokesman said.

If it holds, the truce will give 1.7 million Gazans respite from days of ferocious air strikes and halt rocket salvoes from militants that unnerved a million people in southern Israel and reached Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the first time.

“Allahu akbar, (God is greatest), dear people of Gaza you won,” blared mosque loudspeakers in the enclave as the truce took effect. “You have broken the arrogance of the Jews.”

Fifteen minutes later, wild celebratory gunfire echoed across the darkened streets of Gaza, which gradually filled with crowds waving Palestinian flags. Ululating women leaned out of windows and fireworks lit up the sky.

Hamas leaders welcomed the agreement, calling it a triumph for armed resistance, and thanking Egypt for its role.

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