3-day Gaza cease-fire goes into effect after heavy Israel-Hamas fighting

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announces a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire beginning Friday between Israel and Hamas, in New Delhi, India, Friday Aug. 1, 2014. During the 72-hour cease-fire, there will be negotiations on a more durable truce in the 24-day-old Gaza war, the United States and United Nations announced. (AP Photo/Lucas Jackson, Pool) (The Associated Press)

A man stands amidst the damage from a rocket fired from Gaza which landed in the middle of a residential neighborhood in the city of Kiryat Gat, Israel, Thursday, July 31, 2014. An Israeli was seriously wounded when a Palestinian rocket exploded in the residential area of the city. Another rocket was intercepted over Tel Aviv by Israel's rocket defense system. Israeli attacks on Gaza continued today, killing many people. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov) (The Associated Press)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – A three-day cease-fire in the Gaza Strip has gone into effect following heavy Israel-Hamas fighting.

The cease-fire, announced hours earlier by the U.S. and the U.N., took effect at 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) Friday. Secretary of State John Kerry cautioned there were "no guarantees" that the lull would bring an end to the Gaza war, now in its fourth week.

Israel and Hamas both said they would respect the cease-fire but would respond to attacks.

At least four short humanitarian cease-fires have been announced since the conflict began, but each has been broken within a few hours by renewed fighting.

Hours before the cease-fire was to take effect, 17 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes. Israel's military said five soldiers were killed along the Gaza border the previous evening.