Israel and the Palestinian militant group Islamic Holy War in the blockaded Gaza Strip must agree on a new ceasefire, reports Reuters, according to two Palestinian officials.
It was Egypt again that brokered the ceasefire – this time after five days of rocket and air strikes between the two sides. The ceasefires announced earlier this week did not last.
The new ceasefire will come into effect from 10 p.m. local time (9 p.m. Norwegian time), according to Egyptian television channel Al-Qahera News.
According to the channel, the parties have agreed on an agreement which stipulates that the parties must stop attacking civilian targets and destroying houses.
Egypt also urges both parties to the conflict to respect the ceasefire agreement.
At least 33 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Tuesday evening, including several civilians, including at least six children. More than 140 Palestinians are also injured.
On the Israeli side, two were killed, an octogenarian Israeli and a Palestinian worker from the Gaza Strip, as a result of Palestinian rocket fire. Several were also injured.
It was on Tuesday night that Israel launched the operation called “Shield and Bow” – when it liquidated three high-ranking members of the Islamic Holy War. At least 13 people were killed in those initial attacks, including several civilians and four children, Haaretz wrote at the time.
Since then, more than 1,000 rockets have been fired at Israel from the Palestinian area. The Islamic holy war group is believed to be behind the attacks. While Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, was not directly involved in the attacks.
This time, the conflict erupted after the death of Palestinian activist and member of the Islamic holy war Khader Adnan, Tuesday May 2, in Israeli captivity after a hunger strike of nearly three months. He was imprisoned without law or penalty.
The Islamic Holy War and Hamas said they would respond to Adnan’s death and that the rocket attacks that took place shortly after his death were only the “beginning” of their response.
Israel responded to the attacks by attacking the Gaza Strip.
