U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S Secretary Of State John Kerry announced in a joint statement today an unconditional, 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that will begin Friday at 8 a.m. local time.

The Associated Press reports that the U.S and the U.N have received word from both Israel and Hamas that the ceasefire will be honored. All troops that are on the ground currently will remain in place.

The statement comes after a month of heavy violence, with most of the casualties civilian.

"We urge all parties to act with restraint until this humanitarian ceasefire begins, and to fully abide by their commitments during the ceasefire," the joint statement said. "This ceasefire is critical to giving innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence," the statement went on.

The conflict in Gaza, which has been ongoing since July 8, has killed at least 1,432 people.

[Image via AP]