Calls for diplomacy as Gaza ceasefire holds
Published: 10:05 PM,May 21,2021 | EDITED : 08:05 PM,May 21,2021
10
TEL AVIV/GAZA: Fighting between Israel and Palestinian activists in the Gaza strip ceased, as both sides stuck to a Friday ceasefire — raising the prospect of a renewed political push to end the Middle East conflict.
Israel and Hamas had agreed to stop all attacks from 2 am — ending 11 days of Israeli air raids and Palestinian rocket fire that left 232 people dead in the Gaza Strip and claimed 12 lives in Israel.
“At this point, the military phase is over. Now is the time for political resolution,” Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said in a press statement, adding that this meant weakening the activists and engaging with moderates.
“We have an opportunity for change. We must not neglect it,” Gantz said. Just 12 hours into the ceasefire, however, new clashes erupted between Palestinians and Israeli security forces on Jerusalem’s holy site known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims. Such tensions had triggered the recent military escalation.
Fifteen people were being treated after police had used rubber bullets, among other things, Palestinian emergency services said. The police said that officers had been hit with stones and an incendiary device by a crowd of hundreds of young people.
Both sides warned on Friday that the ceasefire would be lifted should the other side not stick to the agreement.
“The decision to resume rocket attacks on Israel remains an option,”a spokesperson for the Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas, said on the Al Aqsa television.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Hamas with “new rules of the game” in case of future military action, during a visit to the military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“We changed the equation not only as regards the operation, but also as regards the future,” he said. Netanyahu spoke of a great victory against Hamas, citing the destruction of its tunnel system in Gaza and the killing of several high-ranking officers.
Earlier on Friday, the Israeli military lifted security measures for the south of the country, which bore the brunt of the Palestinian activists’ rocket fire.
In the Gaza Strip, thousands poured onto the streets as soon as the ceasefire took effect. Surrounded by ruins, people aired their relief by lighting fireworks, firing shots into the air and calling “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest).
US President Joe Biden said the ceasefire offers a “genuine opportunity” to make progress towards lasting peace in the Middle East.
He said the United States, the United Nations and other partners stand ready to help the Palestinian Authority with humanitarian aid and reconstruction assistance, in comments at the White House. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to visit the region in the coming days, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi announced on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Hizbullah and the Ansar Allah in Yemen hailed what they called a “Palestinian victory” against their nemesis Israel.
The European Union’s top officials and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged both sides to work towards a political solution and said the bloc would support steps back towards a two-state solution.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the fatalities from the last 11 days of fighting included 65 minors. A further 1,900 people were injured and 1,800 homes destroyed, including five high-rise buildings. Hospitals were badly damaged and roads were destroyed.
According to the Israeli army, the majority of those killed in the Gaza Strip were Palestinian activists.
Among those killed on the Israeli side were a soldier, two workers from Thailand, an Indian nurse and Arab Israelis. More than 300 people were injured.
Palestinian activists fired an overall 4,340 rockets at Israel, around 90 per cent of which were intercepted by its Iron Dome defence system, according to Israeli information. For the first time, a significant number of rockets reached Tel Aviv. — dpa
Israel and Hamas had agreed to stop all attacks from 2 am — ending 11 days of Israeli air raids and Palestinian rocket fire that left 232 people dead in the Gaza Strip and claimed 12 lives in Israel.
“At this point, the military phase is over. Now is the time for political resolution,” Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said in a press statement, adding that this meant weakening the activists and engaging with moderates.
“We have an opportunity for change. We must not neglect it,” Gantz said. Just 12 hours into the ceasefire, however, new clashes erupted between Palestinians and Israeli security forces on Jerusalem’s holy site known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims. Such tensions had triggered the recent military escalation.
Fifteen people were being treated after police had used rubber bullets, among other things, Palestinian emergency services said. The police said that officers had been hit with stones and an incendiary device by a crowd of hundreds of young people.
Both sides warned on Friday that the ceasefire would be lifted should the other side not stick to the agreement.
“The decision to resume rocket attacks on Israel remains an option,”a spokesperson for the Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas, said on the Al Aqsa television.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Hamas with “new rules of the game” in case of future military action, during a visit to the military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“We changed the equation not only as regards the operation, but also as regards the future,” he said. Netanyahu spoke of a great victory against Hamas, citing the destruction of its tunnel system in Gaza and the killing of several high-ranking officers.
Earlier on Friday, the Israeli military lifted security measures for the south of the country, which bore the brunt of the Palestinian activists’ rocket fire.
In the Gaza Strip, thousands poured onto the streets as soon as the ceasefire took effect. Surrounded by ruins, people aired their relief by lighting fireworks, firing shots into the air and calling “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest).
US President Joe Biden said the ceasefire offers a “genuine opportunity” to make progress towards lasting peace in the Middle East.
He said the United States, the United Nations and other partners stand ready to help the Palestinian Authority with humanitarian aid and reconstruction assistance, in comments at the White House. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to visit the region in the coming days, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi announced on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Hizbullah and the Ansar Allah in Yemen hailed what they called a “Palestinian victory” against their nemesis Israel.
The European Union’s top officials and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged both sides to work towards a political solution and said the bloc would support steps back towards a two-state solution.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the fatalities from the last 11 days of fighting included 65 minors. A further 1,900 people were injured and 1,800 homes destroyed, including five high-rise buildings. Hospitals were badly damaged and roads were destroyed.
According to the Israeli army, the majority of those killed in the Gaza Strip were Palestinian activists.
Among those killed on the Israeli side were a soldier, two workers from Thailand, an Indian nurse and Arab Israelis. More than 300 people were injured.
Palestinian activists fired an overall 4,340 rockets at Israel, around 90 per cent of which were intercepted by its Iron Dome defence system, according to Israeli information. For the first time, a significant number of rockets reached Tel Aviv. — dpa