GAZA CITY — The ceasefire between Israel and
Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza was holding Saturday, as humanitarian aid
began to enter the Israeli-blockaded enclave ravaged by 11 days of bloodshed.
اضافة اعلان
As thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to their
homes, and Israelis began to resume normal life on Friday, international focus
turned to the reconstruction of the bomb-shattered Gaza Strip.
In Jerusalem, however, Israeli occupation forces cracked
down on stone-throwing protesters at the highly sensitive Al-Aqsa Mosque
complex, in a sign of how volatile the situation remains, two weeks after
similar clashes sparked the conflict's worst escalation in years.
Israeli forces beat an AFP photographer who was covering the
unrest there.
Clashes also broke out in several other parts of
Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem, and at the crossing point between Jerusalem
and the West Bank, Israeli forces said, adding that hundreds of officers and
border guards had been mobilized.
US President Joe Biden said he had
told the Israelis to stop "intercommunal fighting" in Jerusalem, and
pledged to help organize efforts to rebuild Gaza.
He also stressed "we still need
a two-state solution. It is the only answer, the only answer".
Aid arrives
Convoys of trucks carrying aid began
passing into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing after it was reopened by
Israel, bringing much-needed medicine, food, and fuel.
The UN's Central Emergency Response
Fund said it had released $18.5 million for humanitarian efforts.
Tens of thousands of Gaza residents
ventured out on Friday for the first time in days, checking on neighbors,
examining devastated buildings, visiting the sea, and burying their dead.
Rescuers there said they were
working with meagre resources to reach any survivors still trapped under the
rubble.
Nazmi Dahdouh, 70, said an Israeli
strike had destroyed his home in Gaza City.
"We don't have another home.
I'll live in a tent on top of the rubble of my home until it's rebuilt,"
the father of five said.
In total, Israeli air strikes have
killed 248 people including 66 children since May 10, and wounded 1,948 others,
the health ministry has said.
Large areas have been flattened and
some 120,000 people have been displaced, according to Hamas.
The Israeli occupation forces said
more than 4,300 rockets were fired towards Israel, of which 90 percent were
intercepted by its air defenses.
The rockets claimed 12 lives in
Israel, including one child, a teenager and an Israeli soldier, with one Indian
and two Thai nationals among those killed, Israeli authorities say. Some 357
people in Israel were wounded.
"Our message to the enemy is
clear — if you come back, we'll come back too," a spokesperson for the
armed groups in Gaza said at a press conference, while Israeli Defense Minister
Benny Gantz warned that "the enemy" had no immunity.
Both sides claim victory
Both sides claimed victory after the
Egypt-brokered truce, which also included Gaza's second most powerful armed
group, Islamic Jihad.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said Israel's bombing campaign had killed "more than 200 terrorists"
in Gaza, including 25 senior commanders — an "exceptional success".
For its part, Hamas' political chief
Ismail Haniyeh said they had "dealt a painful and severe blow that will
leave its deep marks" on Israel.
He also thanked Iran for
"providing funds and weapons".
Iran itself praised a "historic
victory" and reaffirmed Tehran's support for the Palestinian cause, while
there were demonstrations in support of Palestinians in Jordan, Libya, and
elsewhere.
Egyptian state media said two
Egyptian security delegations had arrived to monitor the deal from either side.
'Genuine opportunity'
World leaders welcomed the truce.
"I believe we have a genuine
opportunity to make progress and I'm committed to working toward it,"
Biden said.
The European Union echoed his call
for a two-state solution to the conflict.
The US State Department said top
diplomat Antony Blinken would "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".
Russia and China called for a return
to peace talks, and UN chief Antonio Guterres said Israel and the Palestinians
must now have "a serious dialogue to address the root causes of the
conflict."
He too called for "robust"
reconstruction aid.
The flare-up began in Jerusalem,
sacred to Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
Its holy sites have sparked many of
the worst episodes of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
On May 10, Israeli occupation forces
cracked down on Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, which
prompted Hamas to issue an ultimatum.
Israeli occupation forces responded
with air strikes on what it described as military targets in
Gaza — though
Palestinian and international groups have accused it of recklessly hitting
non-military sites in the densely populated strip.
Israel says it makes efforts to
avoid civilian casualties, including by phoning residents to warn them of
imminent strikes.
It blames Hamas for placing military
sites in densely populated areas.
The unrest also fuelled violence
between Jews and Israeli Palestinians in mixed cities.
Occupation forces have clashed with
Palestinian protesters in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. At least 25
Palestinians have been killed.
Israel said at least five had
attempted to attack its forces.
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