Explained: What is the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, and will it hold?

The worst fighting since 2014 ended with a truce but concerns remain over violations of the ceasefire

Israel and Hamas brought to an end a violent 11 days of back-and-forth aerial warfare after the two sides agreed upon a mutual ceasefire brokered by Egypt. The ceasefire came into effect in the early hours of Friday, even though tensions stayed high after the conflict that killed 232 in Palestine and 12 in Israel.

The truce effectively means that both sides will cease any military conflict. Both sides have said they would not back away from responding to any violations of the pact, while Egypt will deploy two delegations to monitor the ceasefire.

The agreement came after mounting pressure from US President Joe Biden and other foreign leaders for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the fighting that had cost hundreds of lives and ravaged buildings in Gaza. Netanyahu vowed "quiet in exchange for quiet".

Read | Israel, Hamas agree to Gaza ceasefire ending 11 days of bloodshed, intense fighting

The easing of hostilities was celebrated in Gaza that has borne disproportional damage from the airstrikes. The pause in fighting will give Palestinians some respite and hopes for a return to some level of normalcy, while allowing the United States and the United Nations to provide support and aid in Gaza’s reconstruction.

The truce has been called “unconditional” by both sides, but the details of the deal have not been made public as yet and are likely to flow in over the next few days. Questions on easing the blockade on Gaza and whether the pact for a considerable amount of time are still unanswered.

However, neither side is likely to take their hands off the trigger too quickly as ceasefires between the two sides have usually been short-lived. Biden, in his address commending the ceasefire, also said the US would help replenish Israel’s missile defence system, a move that has been met with stiff resistance from some of his Democrat colleagues.

Also Read | At UN, US defends its efforts to broker Israel-Palestine ceasefire

In the hours leading up to the ceasefire, sporadic rocket fire was still heard across Gaza and Israel Defense Forces said that sirens had alerted Israeli residents of Hamas rocket fire in the south of the country, the Times of Israel reported. No rockets have been reported from Gaza since the ceasefire officially came into force.

The situation is still delicate after the worst conflict since 2014 in the Middle East and the temporary peace agreement has been built on the tightrope of international diplomacy, military restraint and political dialogue.