Photo: BASHAR TALEB / AFP / Getty Images
The Israeli Government approved accepting Egypt’s mediation proposal for a “bilateral truce” with Hamas, “Without conditions”, announced the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement.
The ceasefire would enter into effective 2: 00 local time on Friday (13: 00 Thursday GMT) , according to Israeli media, which will put an end to eleven days of military escalation between the Israeli Army and the Palestinian militias in Gaza, which has resulted in 232 dead on the strip and 12 In Israel.
The spokesman for the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza, Hazem Qassem, also confirmed that a ceasefire with Israel “mutual and simultaneous” will take effect early Friday at appointed time.
“ We have obtained assurances from mediators that the aggression against Gaza will stop “, said Qassem on the role of Egypt and the UN.
” The resistance shows in all seasons that it is the shield of the people and the most capable of protecting the foundations of the Palestinian cause, “Qassem said in a statement.
Members of the Security Cabinet, including the Chief of Staff and senior military commanders, agreed to accept Egypt’s proposal to cease hostilities after praising what they consider to be “great achievements” of Israel in the military campaign in Gaza.
Rumors about this possible truce had gained momentum in recent hours, especially after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened this afternoon to his Security Cabinet, despite showing supportive the day before continuing with the offensive.
This morning, a spokesman for the Islamist movement Hamas assured Efe that the truce “will probably take place soon”, when international mediators , especially Egypt and the UN, have intensified their efforts to restore calm after eleven days of violence.
The current confrontation, which began last 10 of May, has already claimed the lives of at least 232 Palestinians in the Strip, including 65 children and 39 women, and has caused more than 1. 900 injured, victims of the intense Israeli bombing.
In Israel, 12 people -including two minors – have died as a result of rocket fire from the enclave by Palestinian militias.
Until now Israel had rejected that truce and Netanyahu reiterated yesterday his intention to continue with the operation to achieve its objectives of dismantling the military structure of Hamas, which de facto governs the enclave, despite the fact that US President Joe Biden urged him to “ an immediate significant de-escalation. ”
Despite international pressure, the Israeli Army again today bombed multiple targets of the Islamist Hamas movement in the Strip , from where the rocket fire continued towards the neighboring Israeli communities, which included an anti-tank missile against a bus, reaching 4, 340 launches since the beginning of the escalation.
The offensive of the Israeli troops focused on In recent days at the weapons production and storage sites, the points from which the militias launch the rockets and the network of tunnels – known as the Metro – that Hamas allegedly uses to move combatants and transport weapons from one area to another. other a of the enclave.
Continue Reading: Videos show the serious violence due to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians where children and women have died