Silence falls on Gaza for first time in 19 days as 12-hour ceasefire begins and Palestinians return to see what's left of their homes

Hundreds of Palestinians poured into the streets after an uneasy truce took force today to inspect damage to their homes, and many lined up outside banks to withdraw cash and stock up on supplies. Explosions continued until minutes before the ceasefire (left) and Israeli forces used the time to restock tanks (right) as Palestinians returned to the rubble of Gaza City (CENTRE). In one village, Gaza's Health Ministry said 18 members of the same family were killed. The Palestinian death toll topped 900 as at least 40 bodies were pulled from the rubble in the first few hours of the halt in fighting, which began at 6am UK time. Israel said it would continue to search for tunnels it says are used by militants during the truce