FRAGILE TRUCE HOLDS IN GAZA AFTER ISRAELI BOMBARDMENT THAT KILLED 44 PALESTINIANS

Mon 08 August 2022:

There is hope that the three days of Israeli shelling of Gaza, which have claimed at least 44 Palestinian lives, including 15 children, may come to a stop after Israel and the Palestinian armed group Islamic Jihad announced a truce.

Even though there had been a flurry of Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket assaults up until the last minute, the ceasefire started at 11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday (20:30 GMT).

Although both parties had agreed to put an end to the fighting, one has warned the other that it will use force to stop any further aggression.

Since Friday, Israel has carried out heavy bombardment across Gaza, flattening buildings and striking refugee camps. The Israeli military said it has been targeting members of the Islamic Jihad, including the group’s senior commanders, but according to Palestinian officials, almost half of the 44 people who died have been civilians.

Israel has been heavily bombarding Gaza since Friday, destroying structures and hitting refugee camps. Although the Israeli military claimed to have targeted Islamic Jihad militants, including the organization’s senior commanders, Palestinian sources claim that nearly half of the 44 fatalities were civilians.

Additionally, at least 350 Palestinian civilians have suffered injuries.

In response, Islamic Jihad launched hundreds of missiles into Israel, but the majority were shot down or intercepted. According to the Israeli emergency services, 31 persons in Israel suffered minor injuries, while three people in Israel were hit by shrapnel.

The fighting in Gaza was at its deadliest since the 11-day conflict last year, which left at least 250 Palestinians dead in the underdeveloped coastal enclave and about 13 in Israel.

Prisoner release

Sunday’s truce was mediated by Egypt, with help from the United Nations and Qatar. The secretary general of Islamic Jihad, Ziad al-Nakhala, said one of the key agreements was an Egyptian guarantee that it would work towards the release of two of the group’s leaders who are being held by Israel.

“The Islamic Jihad lays down its conditions. First, to unite all the Palestinians. Second, we demand that the enemy release our brother who has been on hunger strike, Khalil Awawda, and third, to release Sheikh Bassem al-Saadi,” al-Nakhala told reporters.

Egypt issued a statement saying it is “exerting efforts to release” Awawda and “transfer him for treatment” and is working for the release of al-Saadi “as soon as possible”.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

Al-Saadi’s arrest last week in the occupied West Bank was one of the key triggers of the latest escalation. Following his arrest, Israeli forces launched what they called “pre-emptive” raids on the Gaza Strip to prevent any retaliatory attacks. Islamic Jihad’s commanders, Taysir al-Jabari and Khaled Mansour, were killed in attacks on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Israeli forces also arrested 19 more members of the Islamic Jihad in the occupied West Bank.

“As far as Israel is concerned, this operation is over, ” said Al Jazeera’s Natasha Ghoneim, reporting from West Jerusalem. “For the Israelis, the objective was to neutralize Islamic Jihad, with most, if not all senior leadership being killed as well.”

Ghoneim said the Israelis have also created a divide between Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the larger group that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas has fought four wars with Israel since taking control of the enclave in 2007.

“There was a concern that if this operation was protracted and the death toll continued to rise, that perhaps Hamas might enter the fray. It appears for now that has not happened, with Hamas remaining on the sidelines,” Ghoneim said.

The United States and the UN also welcomed the truce.

US President Joe Biden thanked his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, for his country’s role in brokering the ceasefire, and called for investigations into civilian casualties, which he called a “tragedy”.

UN Middle East Envoy Tor Wennesland underscored his commitment to “do all we can” towards ending the escalation, ensuring the safety of the civilian population, and “following up on the Palestinian prisoner file”.

“The situation is still very fragile,” he said in a tweet. “I urge all parties to observe the ceasefire.”

1/2 I welcome the ceasefire in #Gaza and #Israel after days of conflict. Deeply saddened by the loss of life & injuries, including children.
I commend #Egypt for its crucial role in establishing the ceasefire and for the strong support from #Qatar, US & others…

— Tor Wennesland (@TWennesland) August 7, 2022

Despite the cessation of hostilities, Palestinians in Gaza claimed that Israel’s 15-year embargo prevents them from leading regular lives.

Israel and Egypt, citing security concerns, severely limit the passage of people and goods into and out of the small coastal enclave, which is home to some 2.3 million people. Israel and Egypt also impose a naval blockade.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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