Islamic Jihad leader says ceasefire reached with Israel

Palestinians inspect the rubble at the site of an air strike that the Israeli military said targeted the house of an Islamic Jihad member, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip (Fatima Shbair/AP)

A leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza says a ceasefire has been reached with Israel to end five days of heavy fighting.

Mohamad al-Hindi told the Al Kahera Wal Nas channel that the Egyptian-brokered deal would go into effect at 10pm local time (1900 GMT).

Smoke and fire rise from an explosion caused by an Israeli air strike targeting a building in Gaza (Ashraf Amra/AP)

“Now, this agreement has been reached thanks to continuous Egyptian effort. We appreciate this effort,” he said.