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The Ceasefire Between Israel and Palestine Comes into Effect

May 19, 2021

In recent news, a ceasefire has been brokered between the State of Israel and the militant group in Palestine, Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. 

It came into effect in the early hours of Friday and brought 11 days of ongoing violence and fighting to an end. Over 250 people lost their lives in the clashes between the two sides, most of whom were in Gaza. 

Both Hamas and Israel have claimed victory for their respective side in the conflict. 

Though the truce was implemented in the early hours of Friday, it had to overcome an early challenge on the same day. Several fresh clashes started up again at the compound of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the territory which comes under-occupied East Jerusalem. 

A handful of Palestinians had taken to throwing stones at Israeli officers thus, the law enforcement officials had resorted to ‘riot’ suppressing methods to ensure that things did not escalate once again. 

The violent flare-up between Palestinian militants from Gaza and Israel had initially begun on the 10th of May. This had been a direct result of weeks of tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians in the area of East Jerusalem. This led to skirmishes occurring at the holy site of Al-Aqsa, which is revered by both Jews and Muslims. 

Hamas started to fire rockets soon after it issued a warning to the State of Israel to pull back from the site. This caused Israel to send out retaliatory airstrikes. 

Around 243 people, which include over 100 children and women, lost their lives in these attacks in Gaza, as reported by the Health Ministry there. Authorities in Israel reported that they had killed no less than 225 militants in the attacks. At present, Hamas has not provided casualty figures for its fighters. 

The medical service in Israel revealed that 12 citizens, which included two children, have been killed. The military also reported that over 4,300 rockets had been fired towards the Jewish state by the militants. Moreover, it said that the airstrikes it retaliated with targeted over 1,000 militants in the Gaza Strip. 

Late on Thursday night, the Israeli Political-Security Cabinet added that it had decided to unanimously accept the constant calls and recommendations for a ceasefire. 

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, went on to say that the truce offered an opportunity for both sides to progress together. He commended the efforts of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, soon after the ceasefire was announced. The President also praised the efforts of the President of Egypt, Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi, who had been instrumental in ensuring a compromise between Palestinians and the Israelis. 

Biden went on to extend his condolences to the families in Palestine and Israel who lost their loved ones. He sent wishes of a full and speedy recovery to those who had been severely injured. 

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