12-hour ceasefire starts in Gaza

A 12-hour humanitarian pause came into force between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza, which has been reeling under a devastating Israeli military offensive since July 7.

The pause began at 08:00 local time, or 05:00GMT.

In a press release, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that "there was a national consensus on a humanitarian truce by the United Nations for 12 hours".

The Israeli army also confirmed the pause, warning it will respond for any attack on its forces or rocket fire at Israeli cities.

The army, however, warned displaced Palestinians against returning to their homes.

The short lull was declared after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry failed to reach a week-long humanitarian pause in Israel's 20-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip.,

The initiative came as Davutoglu held talks with his US, French and Qatari counterparts in Qatar on Friday.

The US State Department spokeswoman Mary Harf said on Friday that Turkey is playing a key role in arranging a ceasefire in Gaza.

Turkey and Qatar presented a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as efforts brokered by Egypt and the US to reach a truce remained inconclusive.

Earlier on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had notified US Secretary of State John Kerry and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that his country would begin a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip for the day.

Ban called during a press conference in the Egyptian capital Cairo late on Friday for a seven-day humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip.

He said the truce could start with a 12-hour lull first and then these 12 hours could be extended later.

Turkey and Qatar welcomed the 12-hour ceasefire in Gaza which aims to give Palestinians the chance to receive food and water supplies and allow hospitals to get medical supplies.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Qatari counterpart Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah issued a joint statement early on Saturday following the approval of the truce by the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, and the Israeli government.

"We reiterate our will to break our back working for a negotiated and sustained ceasefire between the two parties with the UN, USA and our other international partners," the statement said.

The statement said the two countries also appreciated Hamas' immediate approval of the truce.

Since July 7, Israel has pummeled the Gaza Strip - from air, land and sea - with the ostensible aim of halting Palestinian rocket fire.

At least 900 Palestinians have been killed and more than 6000 others injured in Israeli attacks across the blockaded territory.

According to official Israeli figures, 38 Israelis - 35 soldiers and three civilians - have been killed since hostilities began.

Israel's operation "Protective Edge" is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populated Gaza Strip, which is home to some 1.8 million Palestinians, within the last six years.

In 2008/9, over 1500 Palestinians were killed - the vast majority of them civilians - during Israel's three-week-long "Operation Cast Lead."