BBC News with Iain Purdon.

After eight days of fighting, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has begun. The deal was announced in Cairo by the Egyptian foreign minister flanked by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Speaking through an interpreter, the Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal said Hamas had won a victory in Gaza and Israel had failed in all its goals.

This is not a traditional war, this is not a battle between two sides. It is a treacherous cowardly aggression against our people in Gaza that an initiated they did, a response and reaction for that, and eight days later, the God has forced the [homes] of [desire less] to [saw/sew] pity of our people in Gaza and they has submitted it to the conditions of the resistance and affections.

At an earlier news conference in Jerusalem, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was right for Israeli to try to achieve a lasting ceasefire.

It is true that some citizens expected a stronger major operation. But this time, it was necessary for Israel to take advantage of this opportunity and agree ceasefire. I had to take the necessary measures to protect our security.

The deals states that Israel and Hamas will stop all hostilities to and from the Gaza. Israeli is to stop targeted the assassinations while Palestinian militants have to stop all rocket fire and attacks along the border. Jon Leyne has the details.

The obvious based our complete cessation of hostilities from both sides and including Israeli agree not targeted individuals inside the Gaza Strip. They also talk about opening the crossings between Gaza and Israel that does seem to be commitments to open up Gaza that's the big concession to the Palestinians. Egypt is coming in as a responsive this agreement very important. But other things that's missing it's not written on this paper is what they are going to do about Gaza, Egypt border, to what extent Egypt is going to step up placing of that border to prevents missiles and militants getting through them.