Washington — Israel and Hamas suspended 11 days of military conflict Thursday night after both sides accepted Egypt-mediated ceasefire..
The move has caused far more devastation in Gaza than Israel and has significantly affected Palestinians, following increased pressure to escalate conflicts from President Joe Biden’s administration and other foreign leaders. Killed. Hamas indiscriminately launched rockets into Israel’s civilian territories, and Israel attacked Gaza with air strikes.
Israel described the agreement as “mutual and unconditional.” After the Israeli Prime Minister confirmed the ceasefire on the phone Thursday night, Biden welcomed the ceasefire and praised Benjamin Netanyahu.
More: Israel, Hamas agree to ceasefire after hundreds have been killed in Gaza
Who was killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
The recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been the worst outbreak of violence in the Middle East since 2014.
Since the beginning of the fighting, at least 230 Palestinians have been killed, including 64 children and 38 women. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, an additional 1,620 people have been injured and are not divided into combatants and civilians.
In Israel, 12 people were killed, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl, and a soldier.
In addition, according to the World Health Organization, 58,000 Palestinians were displaced and 18 hospitals, clinics and medical facilities were destroyed during the conflict. The Central COVID-19 Test Lab in Gaza City was almost completely destroyed.
Netanyahu advertises successful surgery and states that he “changed the equation.”
Netanyahu said Israel had achieved its main goal He touted military operations as a “serious blow” to terrorist organizations and a success that discouraged Hamas in the future.
“Not everything is known to the public yet, but our set of achievements will become apparent over time.” He said in a statement Friday.
He also spoke to critics of the airstrikes. “I would say there is always criticism from one or the other, but most Israeli citizens know that we understand that we acted with determination, wisdom, and the highest responsibility.”
Netanyahu said Israel “has caused the greatest damage to Hamas,” limiting Israeli casualties. He warned Hamas that future aggression would be even more powerful.
“We hit Hamas very seriously and changed the equation. If Hamas thinks we suffer from rocket dripping, that’s wrong,” he said.
“What was it, it wasn’t,” he said.
Biden sees a “real opportunity” for progress towards peace
Biden said in a brief statement Thursday that the agreement opened the door for a broader peace agreement between the two parties.
“I believe that Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live equally safely and reliably and enjoy equal means of freedom, prosperity and democracy,” he said. “My administration will continue our quiet and relentless diplomacy for that purpose. We believe there is a real opportunity to make progress and I promise to work for it. . “
More: Major players in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and why peace remains elusive in Gaza
Biden condolences to the victims’ families, the Israelis and Palestinians. “These hostilities have resulted in the tragic deaths of so many civilians,” he said.
As the fighting intensified, Biden faced increasing pressure from the Democrats to intervene more strongly to thwart the onslaught of Israeli airstrikes. On Wednesday, he demanded a “significant escalation” from Netanyahu, but Israel continued to do so.
On Thursday’s call to Netanyahu (recently the sixth), Mr Biden reiterated that the United States is “fully supporting” Israel to protect itself from Hamas. He also vowed to help the United States replenish Israel’s sophisticated Iron Dome missile defense system, which restricted Israeli casualties.
Mr Biden said the United States had participated in “literally, intensive, hourly, high-level discussions” with Egypt and other intermediaries to avoid protracted conflicts. He acknowledged Egyptian President Abdel Fatta Arsisi for his role in mediating transactions.
How the conflict began
The fighting began when a Hamas militant group launched a rocket at Jerusalem a few days after a clash between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police in nearby Jerusalem. Al-Aqsa Mosque CompoundA sacred place for Jews and Muslims.
Palestinians were protesting efforts by Jewish settlers To kick out the Palestinian family From their home in East Jerusalem.
Hamas, the ruler of Gaza, fired thousands of rockets at Israeli civilian targets and sent Israeli scrambles to bomb shelters. The majority of Hamas rockets were intercepted by the Dome missile defense system.
Israel responded with its own salvo aimed at reducing Hamas’ military power and killing its leaders. About 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza.
More: Gaza children bear the brunt of the conflict between Israel and Hamas
What’s next?
Hostility between Israel and Palestine Stay high and go back decades..
Even when the ceasefire was reached, the Israeli Defense Forces said sirens were ringing in the southern part of the country to warn Israeli residents of the Hamas rocket fire.
Hamas official Tahel Knownow confirmed the agreement. “As long as the occupation is taking place, Palestinian resistance will commit to this agreement,” he said.
Biden has pledged “quick humanitarian assistance” to the people of Gaza through the United Nations, revealing that it will be done through a partnership with Palestinian authorities rather than Hamas.
When the ceasefire comes into effect, some people are worried that the ceasefire will not be maintained because the tensions are still high on both sides. Meanwhile, the United Nations and other relief organizations are launching large-scale relief and reconstruction efforts in Gaza, blamed for casualties and infrastructure damage.
Contributed by: Kim Hjelmgaard, Maureen Groppe, Associated Press. Contact Joey Garrison on Twitter @ joeygarrison.
This article was originally published in USA TODAY: Ceasefire in Gaza: What We Know About Israel, Hamas Agreement