Friday, 21 May 2021 07:16 AM MYT
Palestinians celebrate in the streets following a ceasefire, in the southern Gaza Strip May 21, 2021. ― Reuters pic
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GAZA, May 21 ― An Egyptian-mediated truce between Israel and Hamas began today and US President Joe Biden pledged to salve the devastated Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid after the worst fighting in years.
Palestinians, many of whom had spent 11 days huddled in fear of Israeli shelling, poured into Gaza s streets. Mosque loud-speakers feted “the victory of the resistance achieved over the Occupation (Israel).”
In the countdown to the 2am (2300 GMT Thursday) cease-fire, Palestinian rocket salvoes continued and Israel carried out at least one air strike.
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.”
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.
A truce between Israel and Hamas took hold on Friday after the worst violence in years, but brief clashes broke out around Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem where similar scenes had touched off the Gaza conflict.
Palestinians rally in thousands after Hamas-Israel ceasefire in Gaza
Politics 5 min read
The Friday truce was celebrated by many Palestinians, despite the 232 killed in Gaza, including 65 children. Celebrations broke out after the 2am ceasefire took effect [Fatima Shbair/Getty]
Palestinians rallied by the thousands early on Friday after a ceasefire took effect in the latest Israeli campaign in Gaza, with many viewing it as costly but clear victory for the Islamic militant group Hamas over a far more powerful Israel.
The 11-day escalation left more than 200 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 the Israeli aggression in Jerusalem, the emotional heart of the conflict.