A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has begun, despite a last minute flurry of cross-border attacks.
Under the terms of the truce, Israel will ease its blockade on Gaza and talks to release an Israeli soldier held by Hamas are expected to resume.
Israeli PM, Ehud Olmert, has warned that the truce, which started at 0600 (0300 GMT), will be fragile.
At least 40 rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza at Israel on Wednesday and Israel carried out air strikes.
Another militant group, Islamic Jihad, who lost several members to Israeli air strikes in recent days, claimed responsibility for some of the attacks.
Key questions
Just an hour before the truce came into effect, an Israeli missile strike killed one Palestinian gunman and wounded another three near Gaza's border fence.
The key questions, says the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Gaza, are:
* Will Hamas be able to keep control over all of the disparate militant groups that fire rocket over the border?
* Will those groups be able to show restraint should there be any Palestinian deaths in the West Bank - where this ceasefire does not apply?
A senior Islamic Jihad leader has told the BBC his group would not violate the ceasefire.
"We will respect the truce but if the Israeli side violates the truce at any time Islamic Jihad resolves the right to respond at any time," said Khaled Batsh.
But he added that if an Islamic Jihad militant was killed in the West Bank the group would respond. That, our correspondent suggests, would entail rocket fire from Gaza.
Hamas isolated
Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza, said it was confident all militants would abide by the Egypt-brokered truce, which is supposed to last six months.
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Correspondents said the eve-of-truce cross-border attacks underlined how fragile the agreement could be.
The most recent Gaza ceasefire, in November 2006, quickly unravelled.
Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007, driving out forces loyal to Fatah, the political faction led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Since then, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the international community have sought to isolate Hamas.
Mr Olmert has said the truce will be fragile and could be short-lived. He said Israel would abide by the ceasefire but its armed forces were ready to act if cross-border rocket attacks continued.
"We should not have illusions. The terror organisations, and Hamas among them, have not changed their goals."
The Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, said: "The calm is going to bring stability to Israel if they commit themselves to it."
According to a breakdown of the truce released by Hamas, Israel will ease restrictions on the trade of certain goods between Gaza and Israel on Friday morning, and open up the crossings for all commercial goods next week.
After two weeks, talks will start involving Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the EU on reopening the Rafah crossing into Egypt.
And negotiations on the return of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by militants in Gaza in June 2006, are supposed to resume within a few days, say Israeli security sources.
Israel and Hamas ceasefire begins
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has begun, despite a last minute flurry of cross-border attacks.
Under the terms of the truce, Israel will ease its blockade on Gaza and talks to release an Israeli soldier held by Hamas are expected to resume.
Israeli PM, Ehud Olmert, has warned that the truce, which started at 0600 (0300 GMT), will be fragile.
At least 40 rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza at Israel on Wednesday and Israel carried out air strikes.
Another militant group, Islamic Jihad, who lost several members to Israeli air strikes in recent days, claimed responsibility for some of the attacks.
Key questions
Just an hour before the truce came into effect, an Israeli missile strike killed one Palestinian gunman and wounded another three near Gaza's border fence.
The key questions, says the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Gaza, are:
* Will Hamas be able to keep control over all of the disparate militant groups that fire rocket over the border?
* Will those groups be able to show restraint should there be any Palestinian deaths in the West Bank - where this ceasefire does not apply?
A senior Islamic Jihad leader has told the BBC his group would not violate the ceasefire.
"We will respect the truce but if the Israeli side violates the truce at any time Islamic Jihad resolves the right to respond at any time," said Khaled Batsh.
But he added that if an Islamic Jihad militant was killed in the West Bank the group would respond. That, our correspondent suggests, would entail rocket fire from Gaza.
Hamas isolated
Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza, said it was confident all militants would abide by the Egypt-brokered truce, which is supposed to last six months.
GAZA TRUCE TIMETABLE
map
Timely Gaza truce to test parties
Your views: Israelis and Gazans
Press: Gaza truce is Hamas victory
Send us your comments
Correspondents said the eve-of-truce cross-border attacks underlined how fragile the agreement could be.
The most recent Gaza ceasefire, in November 2006, quickly unravelled.
Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007, driving out forces loyal to Fatah, the political faction led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Since then, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the international community have sought to isolate Hamas.
Mr Olmert has said the truce will be fragile and could be short-lived. He said Israel would abide by the ceasefire but its armed forces were ready to act if cross-border rocket attacks continued.
"We should not have illusions. The terror organisations, and Hamas among them, have not changed their goals."
The Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, said: "The calm is going to bring stability to Israel if they commit themselves to it."
According to a breakdown of the truce released by Hamas, Israel will ease restrictions on the trade of certain goods between Gaza and Israel on Friday morning, and open up the crossings for all commercial goods next week.
After two weeks, talks will start involving Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the EU on reopening the Rafah crossing into Egypt.
And negotiations on the return of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by militants in Gaza in June 2006, are supposed to resume within a few days, say Israeli security sources.
