Iran and Israel may be on the verge of ending hostilities that carried on for a 12th straight day on Tuesday, after both sides gave indications of accepting US President Donald Trump's earlier announced ceasefire agreement.
In the last hour, the Israeli government in a statement said it has agreed to Donald Trump's ceasefire proposal, adding: "Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire."
Around 10.30am in Bangladesh, Iranian state television announced that a ceasefire had begun in its war with Israel, even as Israel warned the public of a new missile barrage launched from Iran.
Iranian state television announced the ceasefire in a graphic on screen, not immediately acknowledging the new missile barrage coming after the deadline set by Trump in his earlier ceasefire announcement.
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Around 6 hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” to be phased in over 24 hours.
Israel police said a barrage of Iranian bombs damaged at least three densely packed residential buildings in Beersheba, killing at least 4 people, shortly after the deadline for Iran (10.30am in Bangladesh).
Israel police said the impact of the hit was so great that some people were injured even while inside their bomb shelters.
About an hour ago though, Israel’s Airports Authority said the country’s airspace has reopened for emergency flights after closing earlier due to an hourslong barrage of missiles from Iran.
Israel in its statement said it agreed to the ceasefire proposal after "achieving the objectives" of its attacks on Iran.
According to the statement, Israel has removed Iran's "dual immediate existential threat" from nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
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It also says Israel has "inflicted severe damage on the military leadership, and destroyed dozens of central Iranian government targets".
Source: With inputs from BBC, AP, and Iranian and Israeli media.