A cautious Egypt-mediated ceasefire came into effect at 10:00 Saturday night between the Israeli occupation army and the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip following five days of fighting that started with the assassination of three Islamic Jihad commanders.
In its announcement on Saturday evening Egypt said the parties agreed to a ceasefire starting at 10 p.m. which includes a commitment to stop attacks on civilians and the destruction of homes as well as any action that harms individuals immediately.
Cairo said it expects Israel and Islamic Jihad to abide by the agreement amid contradictory reports on its content.
In Gaza Islamic Jihad spokesman Tareq Selmi said the Israeli occupation state agreed to halt its policy of targeted strikes on the group’s leaders. “Any stupidity or assassination by the occupation will be met with a response and the Zionist enemy bears the responsibility” he said.
In an official statement by the Palestinian resistance’s joint operations room in the Gaza Strip which includes both Islamic Jihad and Hamas the resistance said that the current round of fighting is over but warned that if “the policy of assassinations resumes … we are ready with a firm finger on the trigger.”
The five-day Israeli aggression had killed 33 Palestinians including six children and three women and resulted in the injury of 150 others mostly civilians.
At least 51 housing units in Gaza were completely destroyed and 1000 others were partially damaged according to initial local reports.
