Palestinians celebrate in Gaza as ceasefire with Israel comes into effect and world hopes for lasting peace
Palestinians flooded the streets of Gaza in celebration as a ceasefire with Israel came into effect today.
People came out in cars and on foot as the truce began at 2am local time, bringing to an end 11 days of sustained air strikes and rocket fire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
They embraced one another in front of bombed out buildings and along streets covered in wreckage.
After agreeing to the ceasefire yesterday evening, both Israel and Hamas claimed victory in the recent conflict in which more than 240 people have died, most of them in Gaza.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said on Twitter that the Gaza offensive had yielded “unprecedented military gains”.
Loud-speakers from mosques in Gaza pronounced “the victory of the resistance achieved over the Occupation.”
US President Joe Biden has said the truce brought “genuine opportunity” for progress. It came a day after he called for a “significant de-escalation” and followed mediation bids by Egypt, Qatar and the UN.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “Leaders in the region must now work to find a durable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that prevents terrorism, ends the cycle of violence and delivers a sustainable and just peace.”
Palestine’s top diplomat said a ceasefire in Gaza is “not enough at all” and the world must now tackle the difficult issues of Jerusalem’s future and achieving an independent Palestinian state.
Riad Al-Malki told reporters at an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly on the conflict that while a ceasefire is good it does not address “the core issue” that started the violence.
The fighting began on May 10, when Hamas militants in Gaza fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem after days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, that is sacred to both Jews and Muslims. Heavy-handed police tactics at the compound and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers had inflamed tensions.
A Hamas official warned that its hands “are on the trigger”.
“It is true the battle ends today but (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the whole world should know that our hands are on the trigger and we will continue to grow the capabilities of this resistance,” said Ezzat El-Reshiq, a member of the Hamas political bureau.
SOURCE: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/palestinians-celebrate-gaza-ceasefire-israel-070520187.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLnJ1Lw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALKjw3j52zRDX20rwwaS4jiF46rHmy-rTe5uiu7yMwwO-Wwec8iRrt5fBMvMMxlaFBPWnlyWGDLg9-L-ehHn36siupB6qbt0JS_rPY8R7kgft89jciAkaVK8a1o0E8kg0n5wSvDKVHH3QuhV-Bv1zUTo-v9LW1dv44pzlq0FeTmu