Gaza City, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire early Saturday, a spokesman for the Palestinian party said, after five people including an Israeli soldier were killed Friday.

‘With Egyptian and UN efforts, we reached (an agreement) to return to the previous state of calm between the (Israeli) occupation and the Palestinian factions,’ Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement.

It was the second such ceasefire agreement between the parties in a week and came amid growing fears of a new war.

On Friday an Israeli soldier was shot dead by Palestinian fire along the border, the first killing of a soldier in and around Gaza since a 2014 war between Hamas and the Jewish state.

Three Hamas fighters were killed as Israel retaliated with airstrikes on dozens of targets.

A fourth Palestinian man was killed after being shot during a protest on the Gaza-Israel border.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.