ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire in their conflict in the Gaza Strip starting on Friday, U.N. Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric announced on Thursday (July 31).
The ceasefire will begin at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Friday, Aug. 1, Dujarric said.
A statement regarding the ceaefire, which was brokered by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, said "forces on the ground will remain in place" during the truce, implying that Israeli ground forces will not withdraw.
"We urge all parties to act with restraint until this humanitarian ceasefire begins, and to fully abide by their commitments during the ceasefire," Dujarric said on behalf of Kerry and Ban. "This ceasefire is critical to giving innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence."