Hamas and Israel agree long-term deal which will ease Israeli blockade of enclave after talks brokered by Egypt.

26 Aug 2014 | Al Jazeera

Thousands of Palestinians are celebrating in Gaza after Israel and Palestinian groups agreed an open-ended ceasefire to end seven weeks of fighting in Gaza.

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said on Tuesday from the occupied West Bank that a formula had been accepted by all parties and that a ceasefire had gone into effect at 16.00 GMT.

He hailed the agreement as a chance to "build a new nation and end the occupation", before thanking Egypt, Qatar and the US for their roles in brokering the agreement made during indirect talks in Cairo.

The Reuters and AP news agencies quoted Israeli officials as saying that the Israeli government had accepted the deal. Israeli media reported the same.

Hamas's exiled deputy leader, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said the agreement was a "victory for the resistance".

Crowds took to the bombed-out streets of Gaza to celebrate the end of hostilities. Many used the v-sign to signify Palestinian victory over Israel.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting Gaza, said that the deal agreed an immediate easing of Israel's blockage of crossings into Gaza, and a gradual lifting of restrictions on fishing off the coast of the strip.

"The embargo will be lifted and the five border posts will see considerable changes, with the Rafah border crossing opening," he said in reference to the crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

Discussions on the creation of a seaport and airport will take place in a month, when indirect talks betwen Israel and Palestinians will resume.

Ofir Gendelman, the Israeli prime minister's spokesman for the Arab world, said operations in Gaza were a victory for Israel. "During the last 50 days, Hamas was dealt the hardest military blow it received since the foundation of this terrorist organisation," he said.

Raids end

Israeli air raids continued in the run up to the ceasefire on Tuesday, as jets attacked two Gaza City high-rise buildings, collapsing one and severely damaging the other.

One attack levelled the 15-storey Basha tower and severely damaged a 13-storey building known as the Italian complex, which was home to 70 families and dozens of shops and offices. 

Palestinian health officials said 20 people were wounded in the Italian complex attack. 

In Israel, one civilian was killed and two others seriously wounded by a mortar round fired from Gaza hit a kibbutz in the Eshkol regional council area.

A total of 2,138 people, most of them civilians including more than 490 children, have been killed in Gaza since war broke out on July 8. A totoal of 68 people have been killed on the Israeli side, nearly all of them soldiers.