Israel And Hamas Reach A Ceasefire Agreement

Israel and Hamas have come to a cease-fire agreement that will put an end to nearly two weeks of violence between the two sides. Over the past 11 days, Hamas has fired more than 4,000 rockets from Gaza into Israel, which left at least 12 people dead. In response, Israel launched hundreds of air raids that killed about 230 Palestinians, including more than 60 children.

Many of the airstrikes targeted a vast network of tunnels that Hamas uses and caused extensive damage to buildings, including homes, hospitals, and schools. They also damaged the power, water, and sewage systems throughout Gaza.

In one airstrike, the Israeli Defense Force destroyed a building that housed the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera. The IDF said that the building was being used by Hamas intelligence.

The truce comes after days of international pressure to end the hostilities. President Joe Biden repeatedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the attacks.

The cease-fire was mediated by Egpyt and will begin at 2 a.m. local time on Friday (May 21) morning.

Photo: Getty Images