Gaza on second day of ceaze fire

A temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has entered
its second day as residents assess the damage
after close  a month of fighting between Israel and
Palestinian armed groups , and negotiators arrive in
Cairo for talks on a lasting truce .
The 72 -hour ceasefire , which came into effect on
Tuesday and carried past midnight into Wednesday,
has brought tentative relief to millions on both sides
after violence that killed 1 ,875 Palestinians and 67
people in Israel.
Riyad al - Maliki, Palestinian foreign minister, said he
expected " the ceasefire to expand into another 72
hours and beyond ".
Israeli and Palestinian delegations are now set for
what are expected to be tough talks aimed at
securing a permanent ceasefire after the three -day
window closes .
Officials on both sides confirmed sending small
teams to the Egyptian capital, but they bring
conflicting demands and face an uphill diplomatic
battle ahead .
The Palestinians insist Israel end its eight - year
blockade of Gaza and open border crossings, while
Israel wants Gaza fully demilitarised .
The US is also due to participate in the Cairo talks .
" We are determining at what level and in what
capacity and when ," Jen Psaki , US State
Department spokeswoman, in Washington.
In Gaza City, people came out in numbers on
Tuesday afternoon, children played on the street and
the beach, and some shops reopened for the first
time in days , AFP news agency reported.
Others ventured home for the first time only to
witness scenes of devastation.
At a bullet - riddled girls' school, an Israeli flag and an
anti - Hamas slogan had been etched on the wall of a
classroom , and discarded ration packs and tuna
cans labelled in Hebrew littered the floor.
'Clear evidence ' of war crimes
Shortly after the start of the humanitarian ceasefire ,
Malki visited The Hague and said there was " clear
evidence " of war crimes by Israel during its
offensive in Gaza.
Malki met International Criminal Court prosecutors
on Tuesday to push for an investigation .
Last week , the UN launched an inquiry into human
rights violations and crimes alleged to have been
committed by Israel during its offensive , given the
far higher toll of civilian deaths and destruction on
the Palestinian side.
" Everything that has happened in the last 28 days is
clear evidence of war crimes committed by Israel,
amounting to crimes against humanity , " Malki said.
" There is no difficulty for us to show or build the
case . Evidence is there for people to see and collect .
Israel is in clear violation of international law ."
Israel said it did its utmost to avoid civilian
casualties in Gaza but accused Hamas of putting its
people in harm 's way by l
Hosting  rockets from
within densely populated districts .