The United States has welcomed the agreement today for a ceasefire to bring an end to the hostilities between Israeli and Palestinian Government in Gaza.
In a statement released by the State Department Spokesman, Matthew Miller on Saturday, saying the United States commends Egypt’s crucial role in mediating the ceasefire agreement, which will prevent the further loss of civilian lives.
It was reported that a truce between Israel and the militant Islamic Jihad group officially came into effect late on Saturday night, with an Egyptian- mediated ceasefire agreement meant to end the worst episode of cross-border fire since a 10-day war in 2021.
Hundred including children were reportedly killed in this unrest of territory dispute, scores injured and property and amenities destroyed while the US express condolences to the families of civilians who were killed and those who were injured in the violence.
US also recognized Qatar’s robust efforts to de-escalate the situation and end the hostilities, as well as the international community’s support for the ceasefire. “Our team worked tirelessly in cooperation with our partners to support these efforts.
“The United States reaffirms our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, as reflected in our ongoing support for Iron Dome and other Israeli missile defense systems.
“We will remain engaged with our partners to promote calm in the weeks and months ahead. We also will continue our efforts to improve quality of life for Palestinians and we urge the swift delivery of fuel and other critical supplies into Gaza.
“The United States believes that Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy”, the statement added.
Reports gathered that as fighting tapered off, streets in Gaza that had largely been deserted filled with Palestinians. Some people cheered and honked car horns while others headed to the homes of people killed in the fighting to show their respect.
“In light of the agreement of the Palestinian and the Israeli side, Egypt announces a ceasefire between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides has been reached,” text of the agreement seen by Reuters read.
“The two sides will abide by the ceasefire which will include an end to targeting civilians, house demolition, an end to targeting individuals immediately when the ceasefire goes into effect,” it said.
Israel’s national security adviser thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for Cairo’s efforts, a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
“Quiet will be met with quiet and if Israel will be attacked or threatened, it shall continue to do what it must in order to defend itself,” the statement said.
Islamic Jihad also confirmed the agreement. “We declare our acceptance of the Egyptian announcement and we will abide by it as long as the occupation (Israel) abides by it,” the group’s spokesman, Dawoud Shehab, said.
Even as the truce was being finalised, the two sides kept up firing, with air raid sirens sounding as far as Tel Aviv’s suburbs and Israel’s military announcing it had hit Islamic Jihad targets in response to rocket fire.
Though happy about news of the truce, some Gaza residents, weary of repeated flare-ups, feared that another round of fighting would erupt before long. “We want the truce to be based on principles, not like in the past when after a calm (truce) people died,” said resident Munir Marouf, 43.
Israel launched the latest round of airstrikes in the early hours of Tuesday, announcing that it was targeting Islamic Jihad commanders who had planned attacks in Israel.
In response, the Iranian-backed group fired more than 1,000 rockets, sending Israelis fleeing into bomb shelters.
During the five days of the campaign, Israel killed six senior Islamic Jihad commanders and destroyed a number of military installations.
At least 10 civilians, including women and children, were also killed in Gaza during the fighting, and two people – an Israeli woman and a Palestinian labourer – were killed by Palestinian rocket fire in Israel.
Islamic Jihad spurns coexistence with Israel and preaches destruction. Top ministers of Israel’s religious nationalist government rule out any state sought by Palestinians in territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.
More than 90 Palestinians and at least 19 Israelis and foreigners have been killed since January. Israel captured the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem, in the Middle East war, built large settlements there that are considered illegal by the international community.