Gaza, Feb 25 (IANS): A senior official of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) said that a ceasefire with Israel in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip has come into effect.

Ihsan Ataya, the Lebanon-based senior official, told Xinhua news agency that the ceasefire came into effect at 11.30 p.m. on Monday following Egyptian and international mediation.

"It was agreed that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is mutual and synchronous," he said, adding that his group's members "will respond to any breach or violation of the ceasefire".

The ceasefire implementation was also confirmed by the PIJ's armed wing Saraya al-Quds.

It has ended two days of tension that broke out on Sunday between Israel and the Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip after the former shot and killed PIJ member Mohammad Naem and then tried to remove his body with a bulldozer.

The scenes of pulling Naem's body by the bulldozer had sparked widespread outrage among the Palestinians.

In response, Saraya al-Quds fired barrages of rockets on Sunday night into southern Israel.

In retaliation, Israeli war jets launched missiles on military posts and locations that belong to the group.

On Monday, the group's militants fired more barrages of rockets from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel.

Israeli media reported that dozens of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip were intercepted by the the country's defence system. Damage was caused to houses and cars in several towns.

Israeli war jets struck on Monday afternoon more sites and locations in the Gaza Strip that belong to the group, according to Palestinian security sources, which added that no injuries were reported.