JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel and Hamas have announced a ceasefire to end a bruising 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip and brought life in much of Israel to a standstill. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced late Thursday that his Security Cabinet approved the Egyptian-mediated proposal. Hamas quickly followed suit and said it would honor the deal. At 2 a.m. local time, just as the cease-fire took effect, life returned to the streets of Gaza. People went out of their homes, some shouting “Allahu Akbar” or whistling from balconies. The move came after heavy U.S. pressure to halt the offensive. At least 230 Palestinians were killed in the fighting, along with 12 people in Israel.