Israel, Gaza Militants Agree to Ceasefire

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Facts

  • Israel and the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militant group on Saturday confirmed they agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, which went into effect at 10 p.m. after nearly five days of deadly fighting.1
  • Shortly before its start, a last-minute barrage of PIJ rocket fire and Israeli air strikes began, extending past the announced deadline, though the truce, so far, remains in place.2
  • It's uncertain, however, for how long the deal to halt all hostilities will be observed, as the PIJ's command and control were seriously eroded as Israel killed six of its senior-most commanders.3
  • The latest violence broke out on Tuesday when Israel carried out air strikes allegedly targeting Islamic Jihad targets in response to a previous round of PIJ rockets last week, killing three militant group leaders but reportedly also striking the homes of civilians.4
  • Over the past five days, the PIJ fired more than 1.2K rockets and mortar rounds toward Israel, and Israel has struck more than 370 targets affiliated with the group in Gaza, according to the Israeli military.5
  • Palestinian rocket fire into Israel has reportedly killed two people — one Israeli and a Palestinian working in the country — while at least 33 Palestinians, including civilians and leaders of the militant group, have been killed amid Israel's military operation in Gaza.6

Sources: 1The Times of Israel, 2Associated Press, 3Axios, 4Al Jazeera, 5New York Times, and 6BBC News.

Narratives

  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Israel has expressed its strong commitment to observe the truce as long as the militants also comply with this deal while praising Egypt for its efforts to broker the ceasefire. While the country has made it clear that it will not violate the agreement, Israel will not fall short of doing everything it needs to do to protect itself if it is threatened or attacked.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. While this ceasefire has been joyfully welcomed by Palestinians, the status quo in Gaza remains unbearable due to Israel's yearslong siege and occupation. It's evident that a lasting solution to halt hostilities will only be found when the apartheid, border closures, and impunity for Israeli wrongdoing finally come to an end.

Predictions