The move followed growing pressure from President Joe Biden’s administration and others foreign leaders to de-escalate the conflict – which wrought far more devastation in Gaza than Israel and killed significantly more Palestinians. Hamas fired rockets indiscriminately into civilian areas in Israel while Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes.
Israel described the agreement as “mutual and unconditional.” Biden hailed the truce and commended Netanyahu after the Israeli leader confirmed ithe cease-fire by phone Thursday evening.
The latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been the worst outbreak of violence in the Mideast since 2014.
At least 230 Palestinians have been killed, including 64 children and 38 women, since the fighting began. Another 1,620 people have been wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians.
In Israel, 12 people, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a soldier, have been killed.
In Israel, 12 people, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a soldier, have been killed.
In addition, 58,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes during the conflict, while 18 hospital and clinics and a health facility were destroyed, according to the World Health Organization. The central COVID-19 testing lab in Gaza City was almost completely destroyed.
