Quiet night in Israel and Gaza achieved through Egypt
TEL AVIV, GAZA, (BM) – The first good news of the last 11 days came today early in the morning at 2:00 a.m. For the first time, there has been no rocket fire from either Gaza or Israel, which continues to this day. It may turn out that the achieved ceasefire will last for the next few hours.
Shots were heard in the skies over Jerusalem, but they were not military, but Arab Israelis and Palestinians fired fireworks in East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank. It is clear from various Israeli media reports that if the ceasefire is maintained, dozens of representatives worldwide will arrive in Israel to reaffirm the desire for a truce and help continue it.
Egypt played a significant role in the ceasefire process, as we wrote earlier. It is representatives of this country who will monitor the observance of the armistice. Cairo says it will send two delegations for this purpose – one to Israel and Gaza.
A brief chronology of the 11-day ‘rocket war’
For the past 11 days, Israel and Gaza have exchanged continuous and intense missile attacks. Israel resorted to using its air force and was very close to sending ground troops and heavy armored vehicles and tanks to Gaza. Still, international pressure on Tel Aviv halted this Netanyahu’s decision.
Gaza has tested Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system by subjecting almost all cities in the country to rocket fire. Pro-palestinians units fired three missiles from Syria; several artillery shells were fired from Lebanon. Hamas uses rockets of its production – Qassam. As we wrote earlier, this decision by the Palestinians is strange, as they have much more technologically advanced missiles and more destructive power.
Israel, for its part, defended itself with the Iron Dome air defense system, which intercepted more than 90% of the missiles fired across the country. Tel Aviv carried out several air raids, one of which was impressive – 150 planes, 165 targets, and more than 1,000 bombs in a few hours. Israel has destroyed much of Hamas’ underground tunnels in Gaza, known as the Hamas subway.
Israel says the IDF has killed 120 members of Hamas and more than 20 members of Islamic Jihad. A total of 232 Palestinians were killed, 65 of them minors. However, it is not clear whether this number includes the killed 120 members of Hamas.
What is happening in the area?
The violence began after the focus fell on controversial judicial and political actions over the Palestinian-populated Sheikh Jara district of East Jerusalem. An Israeli court initially ruled that Palestinians should be evicted from the neighborhood and be populated with Israelis. A hearing on the eviction followed, but it never ended last Sunday and was postponed.
On Monday, May 10, Jerusalem was subjected to a brief rocket attack by al-Quds and Hamas with a request on the eviction decision. Israel did not comply with the Palestinians, which led to a retaliatory strike and a rocket fire between the two countries for the second day in a row.
According to a field source, Israel has involved fighter jets and tanks in the conflict, which are hitting 130 targets in the Gaza Strip. These goals are related to the Hamas movement. According to the Israeli authorities, these goals are also associated with terrorist organizations.
The international community welcomes the actions of Israelis and Palestinians, but as statements from both sides make clear, both sides may reach no agreement soon.
