According to Egyptian security circles, Israel and militant Palestinians have agreed on a ceasefire after days of fierce fighting in the Gaza Strip. It should come into effect on Sunday evening, a representative of the Egyptian security apparatus told Reuters news agency. Israel and Islamic Jihad did not initially confirm this. One is in contact with Egypt, it was only said. Egyptian mediators had proposed a ceasefire.
The conflict between the Israeli army and Islamists in the Gaza Strip had escalated over the weekend. As part of the military operation “Dawn”, the Israeli army also killed the southern commander of the Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Khaled Mansour, the army said on Sunday. More than 500 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip, including at Jerusalem, since the operation began on Friday.
Nearly all the missiles that threatened Israeli residential areas were intercepted by the “Iron Dome” missile defense system. The warning sirens also blared in many cities on Sunday.
The Israeli army attacked several targets in the Gaza Strip on Sunday night. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 31 Palestinians have been killed since the attacks on Friday. At least 265 were injured. Among the dead are six children and four women, along with other PIJ members.
However, Israel blames Islamic Jihad for the deaths of five children and one adult in the Jabalia refugee camp. According to the army, they were killed by a misplaced jihad missile. The army released video recordings on Sunday. About 120 of the rockets fired since Friday have hit the Gaza Strip itself.
At the start of the military operation, Israel had killed jihadist army chief Tayseer al-Jaabari and other PIJ members. According to Israeli information, the jihad planned an attack with anti-tank missiles in the border area with the Gaza Strip. Israel has cordoned off areas on the fringes of the coastal strip for several days and raised the state of alert. The escalation was preceded by the arrest on Monday of a PIJ leader in the West Bank, Bassam al-Saadi. The group, which is closely linked to Israel’s nemesis Iran, has been classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US.
Hamas has remained silent so far
Israeli commentators spoke of a heavy blow to the jihad on Sunday but urged a swift ceasefire. Otherwise there is a risk that “a spillover (of the conflict) to the West Bank, an uprising by Israeli Arabs” or that the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip will take the brunt. Hamas has so far been reluctant to engage in the conflict. According to Israeli information, it has significantly more and longer-range missiles than Jihad, the second strongest military force in the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Lapid wants to limit damage to bystanders
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Sunday that the operation will continue “as long as necessary”. Efforts are made to ensure bystanders are not harmed. Israel’s former national security adviser Yaakov Amidror currently sees no real interest from Hamas in getting involved in the conflict. Unlike jihad, the ruling power in the Gaza Strip also sees itself as responsible for the well-being of the civilian population, he told the German news agency. The organization understands it “would have to pay a heavy price,” including a lesson from last year’s conflict in Gaza.
For the first time since the start of the operation, rockets were also fired at Jerusalem – the Jewish fast and mourning day Tisha B’Av – on Sunday. Religious Jews mourn the destruction of the two ancient temples in Jerusalem on that day.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
