UN peace envoy arrives in Gaza amid tension

UN peace envoy Nikolay Mladenov arrived in the Gaza Strip on Sunday amid tension in the Palestinian territory, according to a local Palestinian official.

Mladenov arrived in the Palestinian territory through the Erez crossing, the official, who works at the terminal, said on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to speak to media.

The envoy's visit came hours after Palestinian resistance factions and Israel reached an Egyptian-sponsored cease-fire deal to ease tension in the seaside enclave.

On Saturday, two Palestinians were martyred and dozens injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, which the Israeli army said were in response to a volley of rockets fired from the strip into southern Israel.

Since March, more than 130 people have been martyred and thousands more injured by Israeli army fire during Palestinian protests against the decades-long Israeli occupation and 11-year blockade, which has gutted the coastal enclave's economy and deprived its roughly 2 million inhabitants of basic commodities.