A truce between Israeland the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad has resulted in three days of cross-border raids triggered by Israeli surprise airstrikes. It came into force in the Gaza Strip after the fighting.
Earlier, Egyptian officials who brokered the deal said the ceasefire would begin at 11:30 pm (9:30 pm BST) on Sunday.
Israel confirmed that the ceasefire was set to stick, but said it would respond if breached. Islamic Jihad also confirmed the agreement. "We appreciate Egypt's efforts to end Israel's aggression against our people," spokesperson Tarek Selmi said.
The deal comes in an area cordoned off Friday by Operation Breaking Dawn, an Israeli "pre-emptive" operation that is said to have stopped suspected Islamic Jihad rocket attacks in Palestine. should at least temporarily stop the bloodshed.
A total of 36 Palestinians, including 11 of his children and members of Islamic Jihad, were killed in the bombing campaign, more than 300 were injured, and 13 Israelis were treated in hospital. ing.Hundreds of retaliatory rockets were fired across theGazaborder into the south of the country, resulting in minor injuries. It said several children were killed by stray rockets fired by Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad has not commented on the allegations, but Hamas, the allied group that controls the Strip, has condemned the attack on Israel.
The flare-up is the worst outbreak of violence between Israeli and Palestinian militants since her 11-day war last May. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had signaled that the campaign was to last about a week. Israel has inflicted heavy losses on Islamic Jihad over the past three days, including targeting and killing two senior commanders.
Whether the latest confrontation could escalate into a full-blown conflict will depend largely on whether Hamas, the larger Islamist movement that dominates the Strip, decides to intervene. Although the two groups are allies, Hamas has not fully replenished its weapons and tunnel network since last May's war and has resisted being drawn into the fighting. However, all sides recognize that the risk of miscalculation and escalation increases over time.
Unlike Hamas, Islamic Jihad is not responsible for running day-to-day operations in impoverished areas. As a result, it is seen as a more belligerent resistance faction, often acting independently and sometimes even undermining the authority of Hamas. Following four wars and several other battles in a year, it is reeling from unexpected spasms of violence.
The joint Israeli-Egyptian blockade, imposed after Hamas seized control in 2007, has turned electricity and clean water into dreaded commodities, leading to about 50% unemployment and the collapse of health infrastructure. I locked up people who were suffering.
Mohammed al-Aydi, 37, used his hose to fill a water tank in the scorching heat on Sunday afternoon, and has been in his home since hostilities erupted on Friday. He said he had no water at home. Gaza's only power plant was forced to close after 12 hours due to a lack of fuel, and local health officials warned that if fuel is not available within the next 72 hours, ambulances, operating rooms and intensive care units will be warned that the service would be forced to stop.
"Since yesterday, he's only had electricity for three hours at a time. My neighbor had contracted for a generator that I couldn't afford, so I couldn't use the lights and internet to charge his router." I had to bring the battery to the airport," he said.
"It is still his third day, but he is already suffering badly." Tensions also escalated in the occupied West Bank. A large number of Jewish visitors entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex to commemorate Tisha. B'Av is the destruction of his two ancient temples that once stood on this site.
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The disputed area is a holy site for Muslims.Unofficially, Jews are allowed to visit the site, but not to pray there. , the number of police escorted Jewish visitors has increased, exacerbating long-standing Palestinian fears that Israel plans to annex the site.
The Israeli offensive followed a week of tensions sparked by the arrest last Monday of the Islamic Jihad's top commander, Bassem al-Saadi, in the occupied West Bank. Islamic Jihad did not fire rockets after Saadi's arrest, but Israel claims the group is seeking retribution.
Remains relatively quiet, with 256 dead in Gaza and 14 in Israel, Israel holds fifth elections in four years after the short-lived coalition that ousted longtime prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu collapsed A new battle has begun as preparations are underway for