An indefinite ceasefire to end seven weeks of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip was holding Wednesday, with Hamas declaring “victory” and the Israeli cabinet divided on the deal.
Egypt has said that indirect talks between the two sides would resume within a month.
More than 2,130 Palestinians and 70 Israelis, mainly soldiers, were killed in 50 days of fighting.
The temporary agreement allows for the opening of the blockaded border crossing points into Gaza from Israel and Egypt, and an expanded fishing zone for Gaza fishermen.
Opening the border will facilitate the import of materials for the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed in the military offensive. Israel says it will monitor the border carefully so the crossings will not be used for military purposes.
Further points of contention – including the construction of the Gaza sea port and Israel’s release of Hamas prisoners, possibly in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers – would then be put on the negotiating table.
There were no Israeli airstrikes on Gaza after the ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday evening. Palestinian militants did not fire any rockets at Israel, an army spokeswoman said.
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, welcomed the deal reached in Cairo as a “victory.”
In Israel, however, the Ynet news website reported that the Israeli cabinet “appeared to be split” on the deal, with several ministers opposing the decision, and supporting further military action in Gaza.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the ceasefire. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a second phase of ceasefire talks that would provide a basis for the resumption of negotiations over a two-state solution.
Iran called the ceasefire agreement a Palestinian victory. “The heroic Palestinian nation has once again forced the Zionist regime to its knees,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
Israel, which started its offensive on July 8, has hit 5,230 targets in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians militants fired 4,590 rockets, of which 3,660 landed on Israeli territory.
On Wednesday, at least three rockets fired from Syria hit various locations in Israel’s Golan Heights, a military spokeswoman confirmed, adding that the incident was unrelated to the ongoing hostilities with Hamas.
The Israeli army said it fired shells on a Syrian army position in response to the “trickle of fire that is taking place in Syria, which resulted in the injury of an Israeli officer.”
It posted on Twitter that it had identified a hit on the Syrian side. “We hold the Syrian army responsible for all fire towards Israel,” it said.
GNA
PDC
