Gaza truce called as gunmen continue fighting

Gaza, June 11: Palestinian factions reached a new Egyptian-mediated truce deal today in the Gaza Strip in a bid to halt a cycle of bloodletting in which six were killed and dozens wounded since Saturday, Palestinian officials said.

The officials said the ceasefire reached at daybreak would take effect at 11 am (1630 IST), when President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction and the Islamist Hamas movement were to pull their respective gunmen off of Gaza's streets.

The latest fighting had been the worst since a ceasefire declared a month ago after a wave of violence killed more than 50 Palestinians in Gaza, most of the fighters.

Gunmen launched new battles in the streets of Gaza City Today, minutes before the new truce was to take effect. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Militants from both sides also continued to block major traffic arteries by erecting checkpoints at key intersections.

A key motive behind the new truce was to permit 70,000 Gaza high school students to take their matriculation exams peacefully. The exams began on schedule, but most pupils took circuitous routes to school to avoid the gunmen, witnesses said.

Reuters>