Amid escalating violence, ceasefire between Israel and Palestine

An Egyptian-enforced ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants took effect late Sunday in a bid to end nearly three days of violence that killed dozens of Palestinians and disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis.

The flare-up was the worst fighting between Israel and Gaza militant groups since Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war last year, and adds to the destruction and misery that have plagued blockaded Gaza for years.

Israeli strikes and militant rockets continued in the minutes leading up to the beginning of the truce, and Israel said it would respond strongly if the cease-fire was violated.

Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip were exchanging fire in the worst bout of cross-border violence since an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas last year. 

Israeli airstrikes on Saturday killed 11 people, including a senior commander from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an Iran-backed militant group, who was slain in a targeted attack. 

Militants have fired dozens of rockets at Israeli cities and towns, disrupting life for hundreds of thousands of people.