May 25, 2021
In a first sign of advancement since the cease-fire agreement with Hamas, Israel partially reopened yesterday the Erez and the Kerem Shalom crossing points into the Gaza Strip. Up until Monday, the two crossing points were completely closed, but yesterday Israel enabled UN agencies to bring in to the Strip humanitarian medical aid. It also enabled aid workers and foreign reporters to enter.
In another positive development, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived this morning at the Ben Gurion airport. His first step in a regional tour that includes Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Egypt. According to an unnamed senior at the State Department, the goals of the three-day trip are to ensure that the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas holds while also pushing steps that will improve the quality of life for both sides (Israeli and Palestinians) in the absence of immediate peace talks.
UK s Raab to meet Israeli, Palestinian leaders after ceasefire reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Cease-fire allows both Netanyahu and Hamas to declare a victory of sorts ANI | Updated: May 24, 2021 09:00 IST
By John Solomou
Nicosia [Cyprus] May 24 (ANI): Both Israel and Hamas have claimed success after the cease-fire in the 11-day conflict between them that left behind 243 Palestinians and 12 Israelis dead, as well as scores of wounded on both sides.
But despite the cease-fire, the core issues of the conflict remain unresolved and another cycle of violence could start once again in East Jerusalem.
The question arises: So many people lost their lives just so that Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the one hand, and the Islamist Hamas rulers of Gaza, on the other, may achieve their self-serving aims?