The Gaza Strip ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants looks to be holding.
Following three days of conflict in which Israel targeted the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and militants fired rockets at Israel, Egypt negotiated a ceasefire.
At least 44 Palestinians were killed in the deadliest outbreak since an 11-day battle in May 2021.
Israel began relaxing its siege on the Gaza Strip on Monday, allowing the first fuel tanks to enter.
The most recent outbreak of violence began with Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip locations, which its military claimed were in response to threats from a militant group. After Israel detained a top PIJ member in the occupied West Bank, days of unrest ensued.
Sunday evening, the Palestinian health ministry said that 15 children were among the 44 confirmed fatalities.
The ministry of health in Gaza has attributed the deaths of Palestinians and the wounding of more than 300 persons to “Israeli assault.
During the operation, codenamed Breaking Dawn, Israel claims to have struck 170 PIJ targets, killing numerous high-ranking PIJ members and destroying tunnels and weapon storage sites.
A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that 35 Palestinians had been killed: “Eleven of them were uninvolved civilian casualties, including the wives of the terror group’s commanders in the south – victims of IDF attacks.”
Additional 15 civilians were killed by PIJ fire, according to Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav.
During the flare-up, according to General Kochav, 1,100 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, 200 of which landed within Gaza.
He stated that more Palestinians had been killed by the exploding rockets than by IDF fire and that Israel will investigate the deaths of civilians, including children.
There have been no reports of Israeli injuries, except for a few people who were moderately injured by falling debris on Saturday.
Egypt, which has served as an intermediary between Israel and Gaza in the past, negotiated the truce.
However, as it went into force late Sunday night, the Israeli military confirmed it was hitting Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in Gaza in retaliation for rockets fired moments earlier.
In the minutes following the deadline, Israeli media also reported sporadic rocket fire from Gaza.
The leaders of the United States and the United Nations urged both parties to adhere to the truce.
In a statement, US President Joe Biden lauded the ceasefire and urged the parties “to properly execute [it] and guarantee that fuel and humanitarian aid are flowing into Gaza.”
Additionally, he requested that reports of civilian casualties be investigated promptly.
Concerns regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where health officials warned that hospitals had only enough fuel to run generators for two more days, led to the agreement of the ceasefire.
As the ceasefire persisted, limitations on Gaza were gradually relaxed.
Israel stated that humanitarian aid began to enter the Gaza Strip when the key gates, which had been closed for six days, were restored.
According to a statement, they would return to “full routine… pending quiet in the area.”
The most recent violence follows Israel’s arrest of Bassem Saadi, reportedly the leader of PIJ in the West Bank, within a week.
As part of a series of detention operations following a wave of attacks by Israeli Arabs and Palestinians that killed 17 Israelis and two Ukrainians, he was detained in the Jenin region. Two of the attackers were from the area of Jenin.
In the south of the area, large masses gathered on Sunday for the funerals of those slain in Israeli airstrikes on Rafah. Among them was senior PIJ commander Khaled Mansour, the second-highest ranking militant killed. In the West Bank city of Nablus, demonstrations in favor of Gaza have also occurred.
The PIJ, one of the most powerful militant groups operating in Gaza, is supported by Iran and has its headquarters in Damascus, the capital of Syria.
Israel has been the target of numerous attacks, including rocket fire and gunfire.
Israel and PIJ engaged in a five-day confrontation in November 2019 after Israel killed a PIJ commander who, according to Israel, was organizing an imminent attack. 34 Palestinians were killed and 111 were injured as a result of the violence, while 63 Israelis required medical attention.
Israel reported that 25 of the Palestinians slain were terrorists, including those killed as they prepared to launch rockets.
