A 72-hour humanitarian truce is holding in Gaza, halting four weeks of conflict that has claimed more than 1,900 lives.
Israel and Gaza militants maintained fire up until the truce started at 08:00 local time (05:00 GMT).
Israel says it has withdrawn all forces to positions outside Gaza, and some residents there are now returning to discover the fate of their homes.
The truce has drawn an international welcome, and the focus for a longer deal will now fall on talks in Cairo.
‘Durable solution’
Israeli soldiers celebrate after returning from Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement commending the armed forces.
“This was a complex operation that made heroes of soldiers under difficult combat conditions,” he said.
“There is no 100% guarantee for success but we did all we could to achieve our goal.”
The EU and US have welcomed the ceasefire.
The EU called on all parties to respect the truce, and paid tribute to Egypt, which helped broker the deal.
It said: “We hope that this can be extended into a lasting ceasefire. We call on the parties not to miss this opportunity.”
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