Following 11 days of fire exchanged between Israel and Hamas, a ceasefire was finally declared in the Gaza Strip early on Friday morning.
According to a statement from Israeli premiership office, the country’s security cabinet “unanimously adopted the advice to consider an Egyptian proposal for an unconditional… ceasefire.”
Palestinian groups also announced the ceasefire in a separate statement on Thursday, asserting that it would take effect at 23:00 GMT. Hamas and Islamic Jihad, nevertheless, emphasized on the “resistance’s” full preparations for any potential hostilities.
Following the announcement, thousands of people flocked to the city main lands in Gaza and other Palestinian territories to hold a victorious ceremony, waving banners and blinking victory signs.
The 11-day hostility was ignited by violent conduct against Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. The condition was further complicated with Israeli decision about expulsion of Palestinian residents from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah.
The Israeli missile and air assaults has killed at least 232 Palestinians, mostly civilians and including 65 teenagers. 12 Israeli people have also lost their lives. Israel also experienced a full-range local crisis where loads of protesters inside the country set the cities ablaze.
Observers and reporters indicate to the skepticism in Israel about the reasoning behind Gaza attacks and the outcome of a ceasefire. Defense minister, Benny Gantz, proved incapable of keeping the public trust following the failure in keeping the condition inside Israel under control.
“There’s a lot of concern and questioning about where this has got anybody – apart from more destruction and more death. There’s a sense that this has all been said before,” says Harry Fawcett, Aljazeera reporter in the region.
Following the ceasefire, Palestine officials warned Israel that Hamas has its “hands on the trigger” asserting that Israel must stop violating the ceasefire in Jerusalem. The group also insisted on resolving the harm caused by the brutal shelling of Gaza.
Ezzat El-Reshiq, a renowned Hamas member, also said “it is true the battle ends today but Netanyahu and the whole world should know that our hands are on the trigger and we will continue to grow the capabilities of this resistance.”
Hamas also called for safeguarding Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque and termination of compulsory expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem, referring to Sheikh Jarrah.
“What comes after the battle of ‘Sword of Jerusalem’ is not like what came before because the Palestinian people backed the resistance and know that the resistance is what will liberate their land and protect their holy sites,” Reshiq said as quoted by Reuters.
A Ceasefire Welcomed as A Victory
Following the announcement of ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in early hours of Friday, Palestinians celebrated the outcome taking into streets. Firework was observed in the city indicating the victorious spirit of the Ceasefire for Palestinians.
Palestinian groups are hailing the ceasefire as a success, and a gift of God while religious praise for God could be heard from mosques.
According to reporters, the number of people who stormed the streets to celebrate the ceasefire exceeds thousands.
A Hamas official made a victory speech following making a visit to a Gaza family that had lost 45 members in multiple residential buildings devastated by Israel strikes.
Khalil al-Hayya claimed that the ceasefire was a definite victory for Palestinians who resisted 11 days of brutal hostilities against civilians.
“This is the euphoria of victory,” the second-most senior member of the group’s political bureau in Gaza said promising immediate reconstruction of homes ruined by Israeli raids.
Palestinians find the ceasefire as a victory due to the fact that Israel ignited the face-off in early Islamic Ramadan month. Furthermore, the Sheikh Jarrah expulsion program, “a redline” for Palestinians, was condemned by all groups inside and outside the country. Both moves were reversed as a result of the recent clashes.
