Thousands took to the streets of Gaza as the cease-fire took hold at 2 a.m. Young men waved Palestinian and Hamas flags, passed out sweets, honked horns and set off fireworks. Spontaneous celebrations also broke out in east Jerusalem and across the occupied West Bank.
An open-air market in Gaza City that was closed throughout the war reopened and shoppers could be seen stocking up on fresh tomatoes, cabbage and watermelons. Workers in orange traffic vests swept up rubble from the surrounding roads.
“Life will return, because this is not the first war, and it will not be the last war,” said shop owner Ashraf Abu Mohammad. “The heart is in pain, there have been disasters, families wiped from the civil registry, and this saddens us. But this is our fate in this land, to remain patient.”
The 11-day war left more than 200 dead the vast majority Palestinians and brought widespread devastation to the already impoverished Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Scattered clashes at Jerusalem holy site after Gaza truce
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Scattered clashes at Jerusalem holy site after Gaza truce
AP / Updated: May 21, 2021, 18:03 IST
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Palestinians hurled stones and Israeli police fired stun grenades and tear gas shortly after Friday prayers. AP Photo
GAZA CITY: Scattered clashes have broken out between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem hours after a truce in Gaza went into effect. Palestinians hurled stones and Israeli police fired stun grenades and tear gas shortly after Friday prayers. Clashes at the holy site, which is revered by Jews and Muslims, were one of the main triggers for the Gaza war.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip
Palestinians rallied by the thousands Friday after a cease-fire took effect in the latest Gaza war, with many viewing it as a costly but clear victory for the Islamic militant group Hamas. Israel vowed to respond with a “new level of force” to further hostilities.
The 11-day war left more than 250 dead – the vast majority Palestinians – and brought widespread devastation to the already impoverished Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. But the rocket barrages that brought life to a standstill in much of Israel were seen by many Palestinians as a bold response to perceived Israeli abuses in Jerusalem, the emotional heart of the conflict.