Israel and Palestine agree to a Gaza truce after days of deadly attacks

Israel and Palestine agree to a Gaza truce after days of deadly attacks
Palestinians, seen through a damaged car window, gather amid Israel-Gaza fighting, in the northern Gaza Strip August 7, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

In 2005, the Israeli military left the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip and then launched a string of raids on the region. Over 2 million people live on the Strip at the moment. Before now, the last attack by Israel on Gaza was in May 2021, which led to hundreds of deaths and thousands injured and lasted for 11 days.

Last Friday, Israel ran a three-day series of preemptive air raids on Gaza against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad after it arrested a group leader, thinking it would lead to violence. Fighting back, the Jihad fired dozens of rockets into Israel.

Gaza truce
An Iron Dome anti-missile system fires an interceptor missile as a rocket is launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, at the sky near the Israel-Gaza border August 7, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Last night, Palestine and Israel made a truce mediated by Cairo. Hamas, the governing group of the Strip, has stayed out of the conflict. Gaza officials have said there had been over 40 deaths in Gaza; almost half were civilians and children. Israel shot down rockets launched at them. Today, there will be an emergency UN meeting to address the violence.

Gaza truce
The wife and daughter of senior Palestinian commander of Islamic Jihad militant group Khaled Mansour, who was killed in Israeli air strikes, react during the funeral in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, August 7, 2022. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Key Comments:

“The blood of the martyrs will not be wasted," Islamic Jihad said in a statement.

“To the extent that Islamic Jihad wants to protract this operation, it will regret it," Israeli Israeli security cabinet minister Gideon Saar said.

“Who wants a war? No one. But we also don’t like to keep silent when women, children and leaders are killed. An eye for an eye,” said a Gaza taxi driver who identified himself only as Abu Mohammad.

“I reiterate the United Nations Special Coordinator’s appeal on all sides for an immediate de-escalation and halt to the violence, to avoid destructive ramifications, particularly for civilians,” said Lynn Hastings, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the territory.