Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza cease-fire

Story by AP/NBC News 

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel and the Hamas militant group agreed to a cease-fire Wednesday to end eight days of the fiercest fighting in nearly four years, promising to halt attacks on each other and ease an Israeli blockade constricting the Gaza Strip.

The deal was brokered by the new Islamist government of Egypt, solidifying its role as a leader in the quickly shifting Middle East after two days of intense shuttle diplomacy that saw U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton race to the region. Under the agreement, Egypt will play a key role in maintaining the peace.

Standing next to Clinton, Egypt's foreign minister, Mohammed Kamel Amr, announced the breakthrough and said the deal was set to take effect at 9 p.m. local time. (2 p.m. EDT), capping days of intense efforts that drew the world's top diplomats into the fray.

The agreement will "improve conditions for the people of Gaza and provide security for the people of Israel," Clinton said at the news conference in Cairo.

http://news.yahoo.com/israel-hamas-agree-gaza-cease-fire-181335147.html