Egypt state media announces Gaza war cease-fire

GAZA CITY — Egyptian state media announced that a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is taking effect yesterday, halting the seven-week Gaza war which has killed over 2,200 people, the vast majority Palestinians.

Egyptian state television and the state news agency MENA announced the deal, saying it would begin at 7 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), without elaborating.

Israeli officials have yet to comment.

Earlier, officials from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the main groups fighting in Gaza against Israel, said a cease-fire had been reached. They described it as an "open-ended" cease-fire that included an Israeli agreement to ease its blockade of Gaza to allow relief supplies and construction materials into the war-battered territory.

Hamas sent text messages to its supporters, urging them to take to the streets in celebration.

In Israel, a last-minute burst of mortar shells fired from Gaza killed an Israeli and wounded two seriously, medics said.