Israel agrees 12-hour Gaza ceasefire

CAIRO: Israel has announced a unilateral 12-hour ceasefire in Gaza starting on Saturday morning, a US official said.

"Israel has agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire from 07:00 am Saturday," said the US official travelling with Secretary of State John Kerry, who was leaving Cairo without securing a longer ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas.

It was unclear whether the ceasefire was due to start at 7:00 am Israeli time or GMT. (AFP)