The rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah have agreed another ceasefire as they attempt to end an upsurge in fighting in the Gaza Strip.

It is the fifth such truce since violence broke out last Sunday. Since then about 50 people have died.

The two sides have reportedly agreed to take their gunmen off the streets and return hostages seized in the fighting.

Meanwhile at least one person was killed in northern Gaza after Israel launched an air strike.

The Israeli army said the raid had targeted "three members of a Qassam rocket-launching cell that had just fired a rocket towards Israel".

Palestinian residents said the dead man was a shepherd with no connection to the rocket attacks.

Israel's Defense Minister Amir Peretz has said attacks on the Hamas movement in Gaza will continue until rocket attacks on Israel stop.

Israel resumed air strikes on Tuesday after a six-month lull, following several rocket attacks on Israel.

Mr Peretz said militants who fired rockets on Israeli border towns should be "very afraid".

Official attacked

A spokesman for Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya said that under the latest ceasefire, which was due to come into effect at 1500 local time (1200 GMT), "armed men will leave [their positions in] buildings and streets [and] will remove road blocks".

Hostages would be released by both sides at 1600, he said.

After the ceasefire was announced, but before it came into effect, a convoy carrying a senior Fatah member came under fire.

Security sources said Mohammad al-Masri, President Mahmoud Abbas's intelligence chief in the Gaza Strip, was unhurt in the attack.

Photo caption

A Palestinian policeman