The 72 hour ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas crumbled barely few hours after its start today. Gaza emergency health services said 40 Palestinians were killed by Israeli shelling while Israel accused militants of violating the truce by firing rockets and mortars.

Israeli Prime minister’s office blamed Hamas for violation of ceasefire but stopped short of calling that ceasefire is over. Gazans made a beeline to look after their belongings and near and dear ones in the morning after the announcement of ceasefire. Apart from the shelling incident by Israel and firing of eight rockets by Hamas in the day there has been a relative calm in Gaza.

The three day long truce was brokered by UN secretary General Ban Ki Moon and US secretary of State John Kerry after a flurry of diplomatic activities. The truce is to be followed by negotiations in Cairo between Palestinian and Israeli sides for a durable ceasefire. Earlier reports said Egypt has cancelled the talks.

But Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty told that planned ceasefire talks in Cairo are on and none of the parties has declined to attend. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas office said the Palestinian delegation comprised of Hamas, Fatah, the Islamic Jihad militant group and a number of smaller factions will be reaching in Cairo on Saturday.

Israeli delegation is also expected to arrive in Cairo tomorrow. US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns is also arriving in Cairo tomorrow to speed up the negotiations for a lasting peace in Gaza.