Cairo, Egypt- Israel and Palestinian militants have agreed to a ceasefire truce following the intervention of Egypt.
Over the past three days, at least 44 civilians and militants have been killed making it the worst flare-up between Israel and Gaza militant groups since Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war last year.
The fighting has badly damaged Islamic Jihad, Gaza’s second-largest militia. Two of its key leaders are now dead and many of its bases and weapons factories have been destroyed, factors that allowed Israel to claim victory in this round of fighting.
In an official statement, the Jewish State’s Public Diplomacy Directorate said that it would halt its air campaign on Gaza, but would strike back forcefully if the truce is broken.
The terms of the agreement were not immediately made public. However, Egypt’s official State news agency reported that in the push for a truce, Cairo was working to see the release of an Islamic Jihad militant captured by Israel six days ago, as well as ensure a Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike in an Israeli jail would be transferred to a hospital for medical treatment.
“Our fight is not with the people of Gaza. Islamic Jihad is an Iranian proxy that wants to destroy the State of Israel and kill innocent Israelis. The head of Islamic Jihad is in Tehran as we speak. We will do whatever it takes to defend our people,” said Israeli interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
Israeli aircraft have pummelled targets in Gaza since Friday, while the Iran-backed Palestinian Jihad militant group has fired hundreds of rockets at Israel in response.
Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas, and little is known about its arsenal. Both groups call for Israel’s destruction, but have different priorities, with Hamas constrained by the demands of governing.
Since the last war, Israel and Hamas have reached tacit understandings based on trading calm for work permits and a slight easing of the border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas overran the territory 15 years ago. Israel has issued 12 000 work permits to Gaza labourers and has held out the prospect of granting another 2000 permits.
Before the cease-fire was agreed to, Israeli analysts largely portrayed the episode as a victory and even a warning to Israel’s other enemies in the region particularly Hezbollah, the Islamist militia in Lebanon of the fate that awaits them should they also enter into full-scale combat with Israel in the near future.
