JERUSALEM, May 21 (Reuters) - A highly anticipated ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militants who run the Palestinian Gaza Strip officially came into force early on Friday (May 21) at 2am (7am, Singapore time).
Only celebratory gunfire was heard on Gaza streets, AFP journalists said, while no Hamas rockets were fired on Israel in the minutes after the truce began, which seeks to end 11 days of deadly clashes.
The truce brokered by Egypt, which also included Gaza's second-most powerful armed group, Islamic Jihad, was announced on Thursday following mounting international pressure to stem the bloodshed.
US President Joe Biden welcomed the deal.
"I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I'm committed to working toward it," Biden said at the White House, hailing Egypt's role in brokering the agreement.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the security Cabinet had "unanimously accepted the recommendation of all of the security officials ... to accept the Egyptian initiative for a mutual ceasefire without pre-conditions".
Hamas and Islamic Jihad then confirmed the ceasefire, saying it would come into force at 2am on Friday.
The Israeli statement said its aerial campaign had made "unprecedented" achievements in Gaza, a territory it has blockaded since 2007, the year of Hamas' takeover.
"The political leadership emphasises that it is the reality on the ground that will determine the future of the operation," it added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday he would be "prepared at any time to go to Israel, to the Middle East, if that would serve the purpose of moving beyond the violence and helping to work on improving lives for Israelis and Palestinians alike".
Fighting erupted on May 10 after weeks of tensions in Jerusalem, notably over planned evictions of Palestinians from their homes in east Jerusalem to make way for Jewish settlers, and clashes at the sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
The Israeli army said Hamas and other Islamist armed groups in Gaza have since fired more than 4,300 rockets towards Israel, but the overwhelming majority of those headed for populated areas were intercepted by its Iron Dome air defences.
The rockets have claimed 12 lives in Israel, including two children and an Israeli soldier, with one Indian and two Thai nationals among those killed, the police say.
Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, fighters and another 1,900 wounded, according to the Gaza health ministry, leaving vast areas in rubble and displacing some 120,000 people, according to Hamas authorities.
