The cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians aimed at ending the seven-week conflict in Gaza appeared to be holding on Wednesday.
Palestinian and Egyptian officials said the deal, which was mediated in Cairo by the Egyptian government and took effect on Tuesday evening, called for an indefinite halt to hostilities, the immediate opening of Gaza's blockaded crossings with Israel and Egypt and a widening of the territory's fishing zone in the Mediterranean.
A Hamas official voiced willingness for the security forces of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the unity government formed in June to control the passage points. Both Israel and Egypt view Hamas as a security threat and are seeking guarantees that weapons will not enter the territory of 1.8 million people.
Under a second stage of the truce that would begin a month later, Israel and the Palestinians are to discuss the construction of a Gaza sea port and Israel's release of Hamas prisoners in the West Bank, reports said.
According to reports, the agreement in Cairo provides for an immediate easing of restrictions on the two main crossings between Israel and Gaza to allow in aid and reconstruction supplies, an immediate extension of the fishing zone to six nautical miles from the Gazan shore, to be extended later to 12 miles, discussion of a number of as yet unresolved issues, including a future prisoner swap deal, and in the longer term a possible lifting of Israel’s eight-year blockade on Gaza.
Celebrations in Gaza
Shortly after the truce went into effect, people in Gaza came out on the streets and celebrated the end of hostilities.
Iran claimed on Wednesday that its protegé Hamas had brought Israel “to its knees”. The Foreign Ministry in Tehran declared: “The heroic Palestinian people have forged a new era with the victory of the resistance which has brought the Zionist regime to its knees,. This victory prepares the way for the final liberation of all the occupied lands, especially Quds (Jerusalem)."
Senior Israeli defense official Amos Gilad, who was part of the Israel delegation sent to Cairo to negotiate a cease-fire, said Hamas had emerged significantly weakened from the conflict. Speaking to 'Army Radio', Gilad said that the terrorist organization had been dealt a heavy blow. “They are extremely weak and they know it. There is no need to be impressed by the celebratory gunfire and the statements by people who are even more extreme than the extremists. In all, everyone there understands what happened. The rehabilitation efforts are massive. They have brought disaster upon themselves.”
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the cease-fire agreement but warned that “any peace effort that does not tackle the root causes of the crisis will do little more than set the stage for the next cycle of violence.” The statement by the spokesman for Ban said Gaza “must be brought back under one legitimate Palestinian Government,” that the blockade of Gaza must stop and that Israel’s security concerns must be addressed. It added: “After 50 days of profound human suffering and devastating physical destruction, any violations of the cease-fire would be utterly irresponsible.” The UN statement stressed that a political process that leads to two states is the only way to reach lasting peace in Gaza.
