A.A truce in the Gaza conflict entered into force early Friday morning. From 2:00 a.m. local time (1:00 a.m. CEST), Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli army should cease firing. Just minutes before the ceasefire began, Palestinian militants fired rockets in the direction of Israel, and Israel’s air force fired at targets in the coastal strip. Initially, nothing was known about new victims. Both sides warned that if the other side did not abide by the agreement that Egypt had threaded, it would be null and void. The shout of “Allahu akbar” (God is great) rang out from the speakers of the minarets of the mosques in the Gaza Strip and thousands of people ran into the streets.
Militant Palestinians had fired a total of 4,340 rockets in the direction of Israel for eleven days, the Israeli army announced. Twelve people died and more than 300 were injured. 232 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, including 65 children and young people. 1900 people suffered injuries. Immense damage was caused to the infrastructure.
Biden sees a “real opportunity” in the ceasefire
A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire is one-sided and will take place without any preconditions. Nevertheless, Hamas also accepted the indirectly reached agreement. “The ceasefire is reciprocal and comes into effect on both sides on Friday 2:00 am (1:00 am CEST),” said Taher al-Nuno, an advisor to Hamas chief Ismail Haniya, in Gaza. The Palestinians’ “armed resistance” will hold on to them as long as the Israeli side does so, he added.
According to US President Joe Biden, the ceasefire offers a “real opportunity” to make progress towards lasting peace in the Middle East. The United States, together with the United Nations and other partners, are ready to help the Palestinian Authority with humanitarian aid and assistance in reconstruction, Biden said in the White House on Thursday (local time).
UN Secretary General António Guterres has also welcomed the ceasefire. He calls on all sides to adhere to the agreement, said Guterres. Now it has to be a quick reconstruction and resumption of serious talks, said the UN chief. The United Nations would support Israel and the Palestinians in this.
In the hours before the ceasefire was announced, Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas visited Israel and the Palestinian territories. In doing so, he again clearly stood by the side of the Jewish state. “For us the security of Israel, as well as the security of all Jews in Germany, is non-negotiable,” he emphasized.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/middle-east-ceasefire-in-gaza-conflict-entered-into-force/
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