A ceasefire but now comes the hard part for Israel and Hamas

Both sides claimed victory but can the truce stop the cycle of violence? Kim Sengupta reports from Jerusalem

Palestinians celebrate in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, after a ceasefire was brokered by Egypt between Hamas and Israel (AFP via Getty Images)

People came out of their homes in the early hours of the morning and streamed into the streets to celebrate ceasefire after 11 days of brutal strife claiming hundreds of lives and inflicting massive devastation.

But the end of the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas, at least for the time being, has left key issues unresolved, the bitter and growing enmities between the communities within Israel unrepaired, and has also exposed divisions between Western allies.

Both sides claimed victory, as was to be expected, and has been the practice in previous Gaza conflicts.