Palestinian resistance groups reached a ceasefire agreement with Israel on Tuesday thanks to international and regional mediation efforts. The situation in the besieged Gaza Strip has deteriorated since Sunday after escalation between the two sides.
Egypt’s ministry of foreign affairs on Tuesday expressed its concerns over the escalation between Israeli and Palestinian resistance groups which caused several injuries and casualties in the strip. In a statement, Egypt warned against possible dangerous consequences of the escalation in the occupied territories.
Egypt’s statement called for the necessity of a ceasefire and restoring stability in the Strip, where Hamas is the governing movement since 2014.
The situation has deteriorated in Gaza following an Israeli military operation inside the Strip that killed Nour Baraka, a leader in the armed wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades. An Israeli military commander was also killed in the operation.
The Palestinian resistance group responded to the attack by shelling Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories by 400 missiles, wounding 19 Israeli citizens. The Israeli army in turn struk 70 targets across the Gaza Strip, including a tunnel and four military sites in Gaza city, Beit Hanun, Jabaliya, Khan Yunis. The headquarters of Al-Aqsa TV, affiliated with Hamas, was also shelled.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza outraged Israeli citizens in the southern towns.
Israel’s Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman refused the deal and announced his resignation in a meeting at the Israeli Knesset on Wednesday.
Defending the ceasefire agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “Leadership is not doing the easy thing. Leadership is doing the right thing, even if it was difficult.”
Netanyahu claimed that Hamas has “begged for a cease-fire, and they know very well why.”
The Palestinian movements in Gaza said in a joint statement that they have responded to the Egyptian mediation for a ceasefire. They stressed their commitment to the ceasefire as long as Israel does not break it or attack the Palestinian people.
