Update (05/20/21, 3:00 p.m.) — Israel on Thursday announced a cease-fire in the 11-day conflict against Hamas militants that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip and brought life in much of Israel to a standstill.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the cease-fire after a late-night meeting of his security cabinet. It said the group had unanimously accepted an Egyptian proposal, though the sides were still determining exactly when it was to take effect.
Senior defense officials, including the military chief of staff and national security adviser, recommended accepting the proposal after claiming “great accomplishments” in the operation, the statement said.
The agreement would close the heaviest round of fighting between the bitter enemies since a 50-day war in 2014, and once again there was no clear winner.
Israel inflicted heavy damage on Hamas but was unable to prevent the rocket fire that has disrupted life for millions of Israelis for more than a decade.
Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes during the operation, targeting what it said was Hamas’ military infrastructure, including a vast tunnel network.
Hamas and other militant groups embedded in residential areas have fired over 4,000 rockets at Israeli cities, with hundreds falling short and most of the rest intercepted.
At least 230 Palestinians were killed, including 65 children and 39 women, with 1,710 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians.
Hamas and the militant group Islamic Jihad said at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel said the number is at least 130.
Some 58,000 Palestinians have fled their homes, many of them seeking shelter in crowded U.N. schools at a time of a raging coronavirus outbreak.
Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a soldier, were killed.
Israel considers Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks its destruction, to be a terrorist group and Hamas’ government is not internationally recognized.
Original story: GAZA CITY, Gaza (NBC) – Israel launched another wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip Thursday and Hamas fired more rockets at Israel, even as expectations rose that a cease-fire could be reached.
Reports are circulating about possible terms of a cease-fire to bring an end to the deadly cross-border conflict. After eleven days of fighting, it seems a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could be coming soon. Exactly how soon, what it would look like and how long it might last are open questions.
The basic framework would be that the two sides would stop firing, that Israel would immediately stop its air campaign against the Gaza Strip, against Hamas targets, and that Hamas would stop firing rockets into Israel.
If that holds, if there is peace and quiet after this first stage, things would go to a second stage in which there would be more goods and services allowed into the Gaza Strip.
In exchange, Hamas would release the bodies of two Israeli soldiers and two civilians that Hamas has been holding as bargaining chips for situations just like this. Nobody here thinks that this is a long-term solution, but potentially we could see a significant reduction in violence and potentially even an end to this round of violence.
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