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May 20, 2021 8:38 PM -
Israeli media say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet has approved a unilateral cease-fire to halt an 11 day military operation in the Gaza Strip.
The decision came after heavy U.S. pressure to halt the offensive.
It was not immediately clear when the truce was to take effect.
The public broadcaster Kan said the fighting was to halt immediately.
Other TV channels said it would go into effect at 2 a.m.
An official from the Palestinian militant Hamas group says Israel's declaration of a cease-fire represents a defeat for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ``a victory to the Palestinian people.''
Ali Barakeh, a member of Hamas' Arab and Islamic relations bureau, told The Associated Press that the militants will remain on alert until they hear from mediators who have been working for days between Hamas and Israel.
