Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirms agreement with Israel on the Gaza ceasefire that will begin on Sunday evening. This comes after Israel’s weekend shelling of Palestinian targets sparked longer-range rocket assaults against Israeli cities. Israel had accepted the idea, according to an Egyptian security source, while a Palestinian official acquainted with Egyptian operations stated that the truce will begin at 20:00. (1700 GMT).
Speaking representatives for both Israel and the group fighting it in Gaza since combat broke out on Friday would only confirm that they were in communication with Cairo. The flare-up has alarmed foreign powers because it reminds them of the lead-up to earlier battles in Gaza. It has, however, remained mostly in check since Hamas, the Gaza Strip’s ruling Islamist organisation and a more potent force than Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad has so far refrained from entering.
According to officials in Gaza, 31 Palestinians have been killed thus far, at least a third of them civilians. Many areas of southern Israel have been paralysed by the missiles, and inhabitants of Tel Aviv and Ashkelon and other cities have been forced to seek refuge. The suggested ceasefire was scheduled to start at 2100 GMT, according to the Egyptian security source.
Also Read: IN PICS | What life in Afghanistan looks like after one year of Taliban rule?
In what it termed as reprisal for Israel’s overnight execution of its southern Gaza commander—the second such senior officer it has killed in the fighting—Islamic Jihad expanded its range to fire toward Jerusalem on Sunday morning. The attack occurred as observant Jews fasted in remembrance of the two ancient Jerusalem temples that were demolished. Israel said that the rockets were shot down just west of the city by its Iron Dome interceptor, which the army estimated to have a 97 per cent success rate.
(with inputs from agencies)
