Israel agrees Gaza ceasefire after 11 days of intense fighting with Hamas

Israel has agreed to a ceasefire in its conflict with Hamas amid international calls to end airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

The agreement came at an Israel's security cabinet meeting, where ministers voted on a cessation to begin overnight. Hamas official confirmed a "mutual and simultaneous" truce with Israel will start on Friday at 2am.

Hamas had predicted a truce by Friday. With Cairo mediating between the sides, an Egyptian security source said earlier that they had agreed in principle to cease fire but details needed to be worked out.

At least 232 people have been killed in Gaza and 12 in Israel since Israel and Hamas began exchanging rockets and missiles on May 10.

The ceasefire came after the White House said Israeli forces were now in a position to start "winding down" its bombardment.

"We have seen reports of a move toward a potential ceasefire. That's clearly encouraging," said Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, earlier on Thursday.

"We believe the Israelis have achieved significant military objectives... [which is] why we feel they're in a position to wind their operation down."

On Thursday United Nations chief Antonio Guterres told the General Assembly Thursday that "the fighting must stop immediately", calling the continued exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian groups "unacceptable".

"If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza," Guterres added.

News of the Israeli security cabinet meeting came after pressure mounted to end the bloodshed, following US President Joe Biden's call for a "significant de-escalation".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, set to attend the evening meeting with top security officials, earlier vowed to push on until the military campaign reaches its objective, "to restore quiet and security" for Israelis.

UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland was visiting Qatar for talks with Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, as part of an effort to "restore calm," according to a diplomatic source.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said "indirect talks" with Hamas were essential to advancing efforts toward an end of hostilities.

"Of course Hamas has to be included, because without Hamas there will be no ceasefire," Merkel said, who also spoke to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas Thursday, where they agreed the need "for a speedy ceasefire".

Her foreign minister, Heiko Maas, speaking earlier near Tel Aviv, expressed Germany's "solidarity" with Israel but also called for an end to the fighting.

The Israeli army said Hamas and other Islamist armed groups in Gaza have fired 4,070 rockets towards Israel, but the overwhelming majority of those headed for populated areas were intercepted by its Iron Dome air defences.

The rockets have claimed 12 lives in Israel, including two children and an Israeli soldier, with one Indian and two Thai nationals among those killed, the police say.

Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, fighters and another 1,900 wounded, according to the Gaza health ministry, leaving vast areas in rubble and displacing some 120,000 people, according to Hamas authorities.