On Friday (21 May), a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militants running the Palestinian Gaza Strip was officially launched into effect.
This brought to an end the 11-day war that led to more than 200 people dead, as well as much destruction in the Gaza Strip.
The ceasefire was brokered by Egypt and it included the second most powerful armed group in Gaza, Islamic Jihad.
US President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire, saying that he is committed to working towards progress.
He offered his condolences to Israelis and Palestinians and said that Washington would cooperate with the United Nations as well as other involved parties to aid Gaza in its recovery and reconstruction.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is planning to head to the Middle East to meet up with Israeli, Palestinian and regional leaders to engage in discussions on recovery efforts.
While the ceasefire was in the process of being approved, communities near the Gaza border were still being fired at.
Israel’s army also ordered residents in the area to stay in their homes, given the fact that rockets could still be launched during the period.
After the ceasefire was announced, Islamic Jihad claimed that it had “managed to humiliate Israel”.
When the ceasefire came into effect, people could be seen going out of their homes celebrating the truce. Some fired shots into the air in celebration, while others set off firecrackers and noise bombs.
Gazans had been unable to celebrate Eid al-Fitr last week, which is the feast commemorating the end of the Ramadan fasting month.
They took to the streets after the ceasefire was announced, with drivers honking and people waving flags from windows.
In addition, radio stations in Israel that had been providing round-the-clock news coverage and commentary resumed its usual lineup of pop music and folk songs, an indication of the return to normalcy.
However, much like the previous wars, this round of fighting ended inconclusively. Although Israel claimed that they had caused much damage to Hamas, they were unable to stop the rocket attacks coming from them.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was accused by right-wing hardliners of bringing the operation to a halt too quickly.
Furthermore, the ceasefire comes at a critical moment for Netanyahu, who did not manage to form a majority coalition in parliament after an inconclusive election that took place in March.
His opponents currently have until 2 June to establish their own alternative government.
On the other hand, Hamas also declared victory. However, they now have to contend with the challenge of reconstruction amid a climate of dire unemployment rates, poverty and a pandemic.
According to Gaza health officials, 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, had been killed. More than 1,900 had been wounded in Israeli airstrikes and artillery bombings while some 120,000 people had been displaced.
According to authorities, the death toll in Israel was placed at 12, while hundreds others had been receiving treatment for injuries sustained during rocket attacks.
58,000 Palestinians had escaped, with many of them attempting to seek refuge in United Nations schools.
In addition, Gaza’s infrastructure had been severely affected by the conflict.
According to the World Health Organisation, Israeli attacks have led to the destruction of 18 hospitals and clinics, as well as one health facility.
Over 50 schools have been damaged by Israeli bombing, with at least six destroyed.
Click here for a handy run-through of the conflict that we’ve put together for you.
Featured Image: Roman Yanushevsky / Shutterstock.com
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