Gaza ceasefire largely holds after five-day violence

Life on both sides of the Gaza Strip border are slowly returning to normal. This after an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire which halted five days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

The recent violence has killed at least 33 Palestinians and one Israeli.

The Israeli military said a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip, one day after the ceasefire was brokered. Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls the besieged territory, says the rocket launched from Gaza was due to a “technical error” and it was still upholding the ceasefire.

Hoping the ceasefire holds

There are hopes that the ceasefire will hold. It did get off to a rocky start, with both sides firing for two hours after the truce started on Saturday.

Now, Israel has reopened its goods and commercial border crossings. Public offices and shop are also open and crowds return to the streets, that were for days, deserted.

Palestinians celebrate in the street after the ceasefire was announced, in Gaza, May 13, 2023 // Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters

Israel has welcomed the ceasefire. A statement from its prime minister’s office thanking the Egyptian parties involved in brokering the truce. Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch’s Palestine and Israel Director, warns that a ceasefire in Gaza will be unsustainable as long as Israel’s occupation persists.

Leaders from both Israel and Palestine confirm they are committed to upholding the truce.

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In the days before the truce was made, intense fighting resulted in many lives lost and damage to essential infrastructure across the Gaza Strip.

Lives loss, rockets launched in the Gaza Strip

Gaza is a coastal enclave home to 2.3 million Palestinian. It has been riddled with poverty and unemployment since Israel imposed a blockade in 2007, when Hamas took control. Since then, the territory has seen several wars between Israel and militant groups.

The conflict has allegedly escalated since veteran Israeli politician, Benjamin Netanyahu, came back to power late last year. He heads a coalition of ultra-Orthodox and extreme right parties.

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Israeli military says at least 1,234 rockets in total have been fired from Gaza, with 976 crossing into Israeli territory. Most were intercepted or landed in open areas – but some have hit buildings and homes.

Israel has reportedly launched air strikes on 371 PIJ targets across Gaza. This killed three more leaders, and destroyed what it believes to be the group’s command centres. According to local Palestinian health officials, about half of the 33 people killed in Gaza were civilians – including seven children and four women.