Israel and Hamas begin 12-hour truce in Gaza Saturday July 26,2014

Israel and Hamas have begun a 12-hour humanitarian truce in Gaza.

A spokesman for Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri said late on Friday that there was "national consensus on a humanitarian truce... for 12 hours on Saturday".

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed the truce on Twitter but vowed to respond if attacked. "We will respond if terrorists choose to exploit this time to attack IDF personnel or fire at Israeli civilians," it said in a statement.

Israel said it would continue to "locate and neutralise" Hamas tunnels during the pause, which began at 08:00 local time (05:00 GMT). International talks on a longer truce resume later.

In Gaza, some Palestinians were seen on the streets, some attempting to visit their homes in badly hit areas.

More than 870 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 38 Israelis have died since the conflict started onJuly 08,2014

Who are Hamas?

Hamas is the largest of several Palestinian militant Islamist groups.

Its name is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement, originating as it did in 1987 after the beginning of the first intifada, or Palestinian uprising, against Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

It originally had a dual purpose of carrying out an armed struggle against Israel - led by its military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades - and delivering social welfare programmes.

But since 2005, it has also engaged in the Palestinian political process, becoming the first Islamist group in the Arab world to gain power democratically (before forcibly taking control of its stronghold of Gaza).

Hamas is designated a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US, EU, Canada and Japan due to its long record of attacks and its refusal to renounce violence

Israel held Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip, and has carried out three major military campaigns in Gaza - Operation Cast Lead in December 2008, Operation Pillar of Defence in November 2012 and Operation Protective Edge in July 2014.