Hamas reaches agreement to end latest round of violence with Israel

Gaza's Hamas rulers said Monday they have reached an agreement through international mediators to end the latest round of cross-border violence with Israel.

Under the deal, Hamas is to halt the launch of explosive-laden balloons and rocket fire into Israel, while Israel said it will ease a blockade that has been tightened in recent weeks.

The Israeli restrictions have worsened living conditions in Gaza at a time when it is coping with a new coronavirus outbreak.

As a result of indirect mediation efforts led by Egypt, the United Nations and Qatar, Hamas said a number of new projects would help mitigate the difficult living conditions and that conditions would return to how they were before the escalation.

Under previous, unofficial understandings reached through intermediaries, Hamas has sought a broader easing of restrictions on movement, increased power supplies from Israel and large-scale economic projects to help lower unemployment which is hovering around 50%.

It accuses Israel of moving too slowly or not honouring its commitments.

COGAT, an Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, announced late Monday that it would immediately reopen Gaza's only cargo crossing and resume fuel shipments into the territory.

It also said it would reopen a 15-mile (25-kilometre) fishing zone off Gaza's coast.

In recent weeks, pro-Hamas groups have launched scores of incendiary balloons, torching wide tracts of Israeli farmland. Militant groups have also fired several barrages of rockets into Israel.

Israel has responded with tank fire and airstrikes on militant targets, closing Gaza's only cargo crossing, cutting off fuel supplies to the territory's only power plant and halting access to fishing waters.

Residents had been left with just four hours of electricity a day during the sweltering summer.