Israel and Hamas Announce Cease Fire

Deal brokered by Egypt's new Islamist government

Israel and Hamas, the militant group that governs the Palestinian Gaza strip, announced they have reached a cease-fire agreement that will end eight days of fighting - the most deadly in nearly four years.

The agreement was brokered by the new Islamist government of Egypt and announced by Egypt's foreign minister, Mohammed Kamel Amr. The two sides promised to stop attacks on each other and ease an Israeli blockade restricting supplies from the Gaza Strip.

[ALSO READ:Israel Continues to Bomb Gaza, Vows to 'Expand' Operation]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stood next to Amr when he announced the deal at a news conference in Cairo. The cease fire was set to take effect at 9 p.m. local time (2 p.m. EDT).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he agreed to the cease-fire after consulting with President Barack Obama.

[SUBSCRIBE TO LOOP 21 RSS FEED]