GAZA CITY: A truce to end the fighting between Israel and Palestine in Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 33 Palestinians and two people in Israel, is set to take effect at 1900 GMT on Saturday, according to Egyptian and Palestinian sources.
An Egyptian security official confirmed that all sides involved in the conflict have agreed to the ceasefire, while a Palestinian source also affirmed their agreement. However, an Israeli government official declined to comment on the matter.
Late on Saturday, a leader of the Islamic Jihad group in Gaza, Mohamad al-Hindi, announced that a cease-fire agreement had been reached with Israel to halt the five days of heavy fighting.
However, just before the truce was scheduled to take effect, Israel reported intense Palestinian rocket fire towards southern and central Israel, and responded by striking targets inside Gaza.
Al-Hindi, speaking to the Al Kahera Wal Nas channel, stated that the Egyptian-brokered deal would go into effect at 10 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), expressing appreciation for the continuous efforts made by Egypt in reaching the agreement.
While there was no immediate comment from Israel regarding the cease-fire announcement, an Egyptian station had previously reported that a deal was imminent.
Egypt has often acted as a mediator between Israel and Palestine in Gaza, with a similar announcement made by Egypt last week that ultimately unraveled amidst ongoing fighting.
Gaza violence and Israeli aggression
The recent violence has resulted in the deaths of 33 Palestinians inside Gaza, including at least 13 civilians. Two people, including an 80-year-old Israeli woman and a Palestinian man from Gaza who had a work permit in Israel, were killed by rocket fire in Israel.
In addition to the conflict in Gaza, the situation remains combustible in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli forces conducted a raid on the Balata refugee camp near the Nablus city, leading to a firefight that resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians.
Separately, near the city of Jenin, Israeli police reported shooting and killing a suspected Palestinian assailant who was approaching soldiers with a knife.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military carried out bombings, including an apartment belonging to Islamic Jihad commander Mohammed Abu Al Atta, as well as rocket launchers and other targets.
During the past few days, Israel has conducted multiple airstrikes, targeting senior Islamic Jihad commanders, their command centers, and rocket-launching sites.
As the ceasefire takes effect, Palestinians are venturing out to assess the damage caused by Israeli warplanes and salvage what they can. Four homes in densely populated residential areas were reduced to rubble in the pre-dawn attacks.
While the Israeli military claimed that the targeted homes belonged to or were used by Islamic Jihad militants, the residents denied these claims, stating that they had no involvement in the conflict.
Hamas has refrained from direct involvement in the recent clashes, thereby limiting the scale of the conflict. While they have expressed support for Islamic Jihad’s actions, Hamas has remained on the sidelines as the de facto government responsible for the conditions in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Islamic Jihad, known for its more ideological approach, has taken the lead in recent rounds of fighting with Israel. The implementation of the truce brings a temporary respite from the violence that has caused significant loss.
