Gaza celebrations as ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holds

The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas looked to be holding today despite a wave of arrests of Palestinians in the West Bank.

After eight days of conflict in the Gaza Strip that claimed more than 150 lives, a truce was announced last night.

Israel said a number of rockets were fired from Gaza in the hours following the ceasefire, but that there would be no military response.

The has been no fire from either side reported since midnight. But the Israeli Defence Force said it had arrested 55 “terror operatives” in the West Bank in a bid to “restore order”.

The ceasefire came hours after a bomb blast on a bus in Tel Aviv injured 21. Under the deal, both sides will hold off from hostilities until further notice. After the truce has held for 24 hours, talks will begin over Hamas’s demand that the blockade of Gaza be lifted.

Today the UN Security Council called on all sides to uphold the agreement, brokered by Egypt. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: “We are all aware there are many details that must be solidified for a broad, durable ceasefire to take hold over the longer term. It is imperative both sides stick to the ceasefire.”

Gazans celebrated late into the night. Residents there had endured eight days of aerial bombardment. But in Israel, schools within 40 kilometres of Gaza were closed today as a precaution.

Five Israelis and more than 150 Palestinians have died since the conflict began last week. Israel said it targeted 1,500 terror sites during Operation Pillar of Defence, including 980 underground rocket launchers and 140 smuggling tunnels as well as 30 top militants. The defence force said: “We did everything ... to minimise harm to civilians.” Hamas spokesman Ihab Hussein declared the ceasefire a victory for his organisation: “These people made this victory by their patience, by the blood of our people.”