Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
broken clouds
weather
OMAN
23°C / 23°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Lull in Israel-Hamas fighting after Egypt mediated truce

1173180
1173180
minus
plus

GAZA/JERUSALEM: Cross-border fighting between Israel and Hamas abated on Tuesday after a day of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli air strikes, but Israel said it reserved the right to strike again and kept its forces massed at the Gaza frontier.


The biggest Israeli-Palestinian escalation in months, which began on Monday with the longest-range Palestinian rocket attack to cause casualties in Israel for five years, appeared to have been curbed overnight by Egyptian mediation.


But even if brought to an end, the crisis could have an impact on an Israeli election in two weeks in which right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for his political life, arguing that he must stay in power to keep Israelis safe.


Israel responded to Monday’s rocket attack with a wave of strikes on targets belonging to the Hamas that controls the Gaza strip. Seven Israelis were injured in the initial rocket attack and five Palestinians were wounded by the retaliatory Israeli strikes, although most of the targets hit appeared to have been evacuated in advance.


The border area fell quiet on Tuesday after Hamas said Egypt had brokered a truce. As in past escalations that ended with Egyptian mediation.


Rocket warning sirens, which had sounded in Israeli towns near the border on Monday night, fell silent by morning. — Reuters


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon