Celebrations in Gaza as ceasefire takes hold
Israeli security cabinet and Hamas agree to Egyptian-brokered ceasefire to halt 11 days of fighting.
A ceasefire came into force in the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Friday morning after Egypt brokered an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt 11 days of conflict.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the security cabinet had “unanimously accepted the recommendations to accept an Egyptian initiative for an unconditional … ceasefire.”
Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad then confirmed the ceasefire in a statement, saying it would come into force at 2:00am on Friday (23:00 GMT on Thursday).
Thousands of people in Gaza and the Palestinian territories poured onto the streets to celebrate the ceasefire, waving flags and flashing ‘V’ signs for victory.
At least 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, have been killed in the Israeli bombardment.
On the Israeli side, 12 people, including two children, have been killed.
Here are the latest updates:
21 May 2021 - 04:56 GMT
China to provide humanitarian assistance to help Gaza recovery
China will send assistance to help treat the injured and find new accommodation for those left homeless as a result of the Israeli air attacks on Gaza, state media reported, citing Tian Lin, a spokesperson for the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).
21 May 2021 - 04:51 GMT
Pakistan welcomes ceasefire, plans ‘day of solidarity’ with Palestinians
Pakistan has welcomed the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire and a series of demonstrations are planned across the country to mark a day of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi welcomed the ceasefire, describing it as “the power of collective, unified action; this is the effort of every person and every nation, together for a just cause”.
Rallies will be held in main cities, including Islamabad, the capital, Karachi and Lahore.
21 May 2021 - 04:40 GMT
Scepticism in Israel in face of government claims that attacks set Hamas back
There is scepticism in Israel about the bombardment of Gaza and the ceasefire despite claims from the country’s defence minister that the attacks had set Hamas back, according to Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett who is in West Jerusalem.
“There’s a lot of concern and questioning about where this has got anybody – apart from more destruction and more death,” Fawcett said, noting: “There’s a sense that this has all been said before.”
21 May 2021 - 04:35 GMT
Hamas maintains ‘hands on trigger’ after ceasefire: Official
A Hamas official has told the Reuters news agency that Israel must end its violations in Jerusalem and address damages from the bombardment of Gaza following the ceasefire, warning the group still has its “hands on the trigger”.
“It is true the battle ends today but (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the whole world should know that our hands are on the trigger and we will continue to grow the capabilities of this resistance,” Ezzat El-Reshiq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, told the news agency.
He told the Reuters news agency in Doha that the movement’s demands also include protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and ending the eviction of several Palestinians from their home in occupied East Jerusalem which Reshiq described as “a red line”.
“What comes after the battle of ‘Sword of Jerusalem’ is not like what came before because the Palestinian people backed the resistance and know that the resistance is what will liberate their land and protect their holy sites,” Reshiq said.
21 May 2021 - 04:21 GMT
Rebuilding a ‘daunting challenge’ for Gaza following ceasefire
Some people in Gaza who had been taking shelter in school buildings after their homes were damaged in Israeli raids began returning as soon as the ceasefire began, according to Al Jazeera’s Youmna Al Sayed who is reporting from Gaza.
But she said many residents had had their homes completely destroyed and the task of rebuilding the city would be a “daunting challenge” thanks to the closure of border crossings which has starved Gaza of crucial building materials, fuel and other necessities.
“We are talking about rebuilding a territory that was already suffering a dire economic situation, high unemployment and the coronavirus outbreak,” she said.
21 May 2021 - 03:43 GMT
Celebrating the ceasefire in Gaza after 11 days of bombardment
More pictures are coming in of Palestinians celebrating Friday’s ceasefire.
People wave Hamas flags on the streets of Gaza City [Adel Hana/AP Photo]
Palestinians chant slogans celebrating the ceasefire [Khalil Hamra/AP Photo]
People take to the streets of Gaza City to celebrate the ceasefire, which came into effect early on Friday morning [Mohammed Abed/AFP]21 May 2021 - 02:23 GMT
Gaza attacks have thrust Middle East peace to top of US agenda
More on Blinken’s planned trip to the Middle East.
Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from Washington, DC, says the Biden administration had planned to focus on domestic issues in its first year, but Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has thrust Middle East peace back to the top of the US foreign policy agenda.
Elizondo says Blinken’s visit suggests the US wants to “seize on this opportunity to push for a more stable and longer lasting peace beyond the ceasefire”.
21 May 2021 - 01:25 GMT
Blinken to travel to Middle East in ‘the coming days’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to travel to the Middle East “in the coming days” following the Friday ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Blinken has spoken to his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi, who “welcomed Secretary Blinken’s planned travel to the region, where the secretary will meet with Israeli, Palestinian and regional counterparts in the coming days to discuss recovery efforts and working together to build better futures for Israelis and Palestinians,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
21 May 2021 - 01:09 GMT
Hamas claims ‘victory’ with Gaza ceasefire: AFP
Speaking to thousands of people celebrating the ceasefire in Gaza City, a senior Hamas figure has claimed victory in the conflict with Israel, according to the AFP news agency.
“This is the euphoria of victory,” said Khalil al-Hayya, the second-most senior member of the group’s political bureau in the Gaza Strip. He also promised to reconstruct homes destroyed by Israeli air raids.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya flashes the V-sign for victory as people take to the streets to celebrate the ceasefire in Gaza City [Mohammed Abed/AFP]21 May 2021 - 00:14 GMT
UN Secretary General calls for ‘real reconciliation’ after ceasefire
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has called for “serious” efforts to address the underlying causes of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
“I stress that Israeli and Palestinian leaders have a responsibility beyond the restoration of calm to start a serious dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict,” the UN secretary-general said.
“Gaza is an integral part of the future Palestinian state and no effort should be spared to bring about real national reconciliation that ends the division.”
Palestinians celebrate in the streets of the southern Gaza Strip following a ceasefire that came into force in the early hours of Friday morning [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters]20 May 2021 - 23:36 GMT
Egypt President el-Sisi praises US diplomatic effort to negotiate a ceasefire
“I pay tribute and appreciation to the US President Biden for his role in the success of the Egyptian ceasefire initiative,” Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said in a series of tweets after the ceasefire was announced.
20 May 2021 - 23:25 GMT
Palestinians in Gaza celebrate as ceasefire takes hold
Palestinians celebrated as a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took hold in the early morning hours of Friday, reported Al Jazeera correspondent Safwat al-Kahlout who described the sounds of fireworks and gunshots into the air.
Palestinian factions are calling the ceasefire a victory and words of praise to God were being broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, al-Kahlout said.
A senior Hamas official planned to visit a Gaza family that had lost 45 members in three residential buildings destroyed by Israeli bombing and would give a speech, he said.
“Thousands of people went into the street to celebrate,” al-Kahlout said.
20 May 2021 - 22:13 GMT
Biden delivers remarks on expected ceasefire
US President Joe Biden spoke about the expected ceasefire between Israel and Hamas from the White House on Thursday afternoon.
“The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups that have taken the lives of innocent civilians,” Biden said at the White House.
Biden said he “commended” the Israelis for bringing the immediate conflict to an end after 11 days and “assured” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of continued US military support during a call earlier in the day.
“These hostilities have resulted in tragic deaths of so many civilians, including children, and I send my sincere condolences to all the families, Israeli and Palestinian, who have lost loved ones,” Biden said.
20 May 2021 - 21:52 GMT
Relative calm in occupied East Jerusalem: Correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said there was relative calm in the area.
“There have been according to this [Red Alert] app … that there had been quite a few rockets fired from Gaza, most of them intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system, but in general quite quiet on this side of the border,” she said.
“I think everyone on either side is bracing themselves that in 90 minutes or so they could maybe have a sigh of relief.”
20 May 2021 - 21:39 GMT
Israel strategy to divide Palestinians has failed: Israeli analyst
Akiva Eldar, an Israeli political analyst, has said the government’s strategy to divide Palestinians has failed.
“I think the Israeli strategy, which was to divide between the Palestinian communities in Gaza, in the West Bank, and in Israel proper … has failed for the first time in many years,” Eldar told Al Jazeera via Skype from Tel Aviv.
“After we believed that wounds between Israeli and Arabs in Israel proper started healing, they opened again – and there is no ceasefire between the majority of the Israelis and the Israeli minority.”
Moreover, Elder said Netanyahu was likely to lose his partners from the radical right who were “very unhappy” with the ceasefire.
20 May 2021 - 21:15 GMT
Egypt to help in rebuilding process: UN representative
Following the announcement of a ceasefire, Egypt’s representative at the United Nations announced to member states that it will fund efforts to rebuild Gaza after 11 days of Israel’s bombardment of the coastal enclave.
“We hope that it will last,” Mohamed Idris said of the ceasefire.
“Any life that we can save warrants all of the efforts that we are making. And we’re making as many efforts as possible and up to the last minute possible.”
An Israeli air raid hits the high-rise building housing The Associated Press’ and Al Jazeera offices in Gaza City, Saturday, May 15, 2021 [Hatem Moussa/AP]20 May 2021 - 21:00 GMT
Explosions in Gaza still ongoing: Gaza humanitarian worker
Khaled Abu Shabaan, a humanitarian worker in Gaza City, said he and others could still hear explosions.
“We can hear some sounds of explosions here and there, and also the drones are still filling the air so we are hopeful this alleged ceasefire will really materialise by 2am as it was announced,” he told Al Jazeera.
“I was very lucky to haven’t been forced to relocate … [but] it’s been a very tormenting experience for us to go through this war and if anyone wants this hell to end will be us Palestinians here in Gaza.”
20 May 2021 - 20:39 GMT
Ceasefire announcement ‘very good news’: UCLA professor
Dov Waxman, professor of Israeli Studies at UCLA said the agreement between Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire was “very good news”.
“I think it could have been reached days ago with more concerted early pressure from the Biden administration, but it is certainly to be welcomed,” he said.
However, Waxman said it was a “fragile ceasefire”; it wasn’t clear at this point whether there is an agreement between Israel and Hamas or just a mutual ceasefire.
20 May 2021 - 20:18 GMT
People in Gaza fear intense bombardment before truce comes into effect
Journalist Sami Abu Salem, reporting from Gaza, told Al Jazeera that Israel has launched intensified air raids on Gaza before previous ceasefires.
“We expect that the people will celebrate … [but] people are [also] in fear because they are also used to seeing intensive fire just before the deadline,” he said.
A general view of Gaza before the start of the ceasefire [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]20 May 2021 - 20:12 GMT
Hamas, Islamic Jihad confirm Gaza ceasefire
Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have confirmed the Gaza ceasefire in a statement, saying it would come into force at 2:00am on Friday (23:00 GMT on Thursday).
20 May 2021 - 19:45 GMT
Israel announces ceasefire in Gaza operation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced a ceasefire in Gaza operation.
Earlier a Hamas official and Israeli media said Israel and Hamas will ceasefire across the Gaza Strip border as of 2am on Friday (23:00 GMT Thursday).
A Hamas official told the Reuters news agency the ceasefire would be “mutual and simultaneous”.
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