Israeli and Palestinian forces have reportedly reached a truce in the Gaza Strip after days of fighting.

The suspension of hostilities was mediated by Egypt, thus putting an end to an eruption of violence that killed four Israelis and some 29 Palestinians.

Palestinian officials went on a Hamas-run TV station and said the ceasefire has been reached at 4:30 a.m. An Egyptian official also confirmed the deal to AFP.

There was no comment from Israel, which does not speak directly with Hamas, but the Times of Israel reported that security restrictions had been lifted in the south of the country and most schools would open.

The terms of the ceasefire were not clear.

The violence, which began Friday, saw large scale escalation on Saturday and Sunday with rocket attacks from Gaza and Israeli retaliatory strikes.

With Post Wire Services