Lull in fighting
Cease-fire holds as hope rises for curbing turmoil in Gaza
GAZA — Both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movements announced on Saturday night that the efforts to reach an agreement with Israel on getting back to calm and end an escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip “had succeeded”.
Hazem Qassem, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in a statement that mediation and intervention of regional and international parties had reached an agreement on ending the recent unrest between Gaza militants and Israel, which started on Friday evening and ended on Saturday night.
Qassem did not mention which regional or international parties he referred to.
Local media reports quoted senior Hamas officials on condition of anonymity as saying that senior Egyptian security intelligence officials and the United Nations Special Envoy Nicolai Mladinov mediated a cease-fire in Gaza with Israel.
Meanwhile, Dawood Shihab, spokesman of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, told reporters that intensive contacts with the Egyptians within the past day had led to calm in the Gaza Strip.
“The Palestinian military resistance had positively dealt with the Egyptian efforts and agreed to calm in condition that the occupation stops its aggression on the Gaza Strip,” he said, adding “it is the right of the Palestinian armed resistance to respond to any Israeli violation.”
The calm came shortly after two Gaza children were killed and more than 40 wounded in the intensive Israeli airstrikes waged on the Gaza Strip since Friday night.
Thick plumes of smoke rose over parts of the Gaza Strip as Israel hit dozens of targets it said belonged to militants, including a highrise building allegedly used by Hamas as a training facili- ty with a tunnel underneath.
Hamas, which runs the blockaded strip, said it fired in defense in response to Israeli airstrikes.
‘The hardest blow’
Israel blamed Hamas for the escalation, pointing to months of protests and clashes along the border that its military argues the Islamist movement is seeking to use as cover for attacks.
There have also been hundreds of fires at Israeli farms caused by kites and balloons carrying firebombs from Gaza, leading to political pressure on the government and military to take action against Hamas.
“The Israeli army delivered its most painful strike against Hamas since the 2014 war and we will increase the strength of our attacks as much as necessary,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman added: “We have no intention of tolerating rockets, kites, drones or anything. I hope that Hamas will draw conclusions and if not, they will have to pay a heavy price.”
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the group was responsible for the barrage against Israel and that it was carried out “in response to the Israeli airstrikes”.
“The protection and the defense of our people is a national duty and a strategic choice,” Barhoum said.
Dawood Shihab said in a press statement that “resistance will not hesitate to respond to any Israeli aggression against Gaza, bombing will be met by bombing and blood for blood and time that attacked us without a response is ending”.
Tension between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has flared over the past few weeks.
Israel has launched three large-scale military operations against the Gaza Strip. The first one was at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, the second in November 2012, and the latest attack in the summer of 2014.