Israel and Hamas have agreed to an unconditional 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza from 08:00 (05:00 GMT) on Friday.

A joint US and UN statement urged all parties to "act with restraint" until the ceasefire begins. Talks on a more permanent truce are to start in Cairo.

Since Israel began its offensive in Gaza on 8 July, more than 1,420 Palestinians have been killed, most of them civilians, health officials say.

Sixty-one Israeli soldiers have died.

Two Israeli civilians have been killed, as well as a Thai national in Israel.

Israel says its operation in Gaza is designed to defend its population from attacks by Palestinian militants.

Hamas wants a blockade of Gaza, maintained by both Israel and Egypt, to be lifted.

Officials from both Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, confirmed that they had agreed to the ceasefire proposal brokered by the US and UN.

"During this time the forces on the ground will remain in place," US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in the joint statement.

"We urge all parties to act with restraint until this humanitarian ceasefire begins, and to fully abide by their commitments during the ceasefire," the statement added.

"This ceasefire is critical to giving innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence," the statement went on.

It said that during the ceasefire period, civilians in Gaza would receive "urgently needed humanitarian relief, and the opportunity to carry out vital functions, including burying the dead, taking care of the injured and restocking food supplies".

Israeli and Palestinian delegations will go to Cairo immediately for negotiations with the government of Egypt, at the invitation of Egypt, the statement said, with the aim of reaching "a durable ceasefire".

Speaking in India, Mr Kerry warned that a break in the fighting did not guarantee an end to the conflict.

He said that Israel would be able to continue destroying "those tunnels that are behind its lines". Israel says Hamas uses the tunnels to carry out attacks inside Israeli territory.

"This is not a time for congratulations or joy or anything except a serious determination - a focus by everybody to try to figure out the road ahead," Mr Kerry said.

"This is a respite. It is a moment of opportunity, not an end.''

(BBC)