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US Vice President Joe Biden has praised the cease-fire reached by Israeli and Palestinian terrorists to put a stop to the bloody battle in Gaza. In a statement, Biden demanded a probe into civilian deaths, saying that "Washington had worked with leaders from the Jewish state, the Palestinian Authority, and many countries in the region to encourage a fast settlement to the crisis." As the fighting subsided, the US president further urged the parties to "completely enforce the truce" and to "ensure fuel and humanitarian supplies are flowing into Gaza."

What you need to know is as follows:

After nearly three days of bloodshed that claimed the lives of scores of Palestinians and disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis, an agreement on a truce between Israel and Palestinian militants went into effect late on Sunday, at 11:30 pm IST. Israel and Islamic Jihad each made separate announcements of the cease-fire, thanking Egypt for serving as a mediator.

If the Palestinian side violates the ceasefire, Israel has threatened to "act severely."