Israel has reopened its border crossings to the Gaza Strip following the agreed ceasefire with Islamic Jihad. After assessing the security situation, the Erez border crossing and the Kerem Schalom goods crossing are open again, the responsible Cogat authority announced on Monday. According to a spokeswoman, the first fuel tanks and humanitarian supplies crossed the border in the morning.
The ceasefire in the Gaza conflict brokered by Egypt held up for the time being. An Israeli army spokeswoman in Tel Aviv confirmed on Monday that no new rockets had been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel since the ceasefire on Sunday evening. The Israeli army did not attack any new targets in the coastal strip either.
After three days of fighting, the ceasefire came into effect at 11:30 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. CEST). Both sides had previously declared an end to the attacks separately.
US and EU welcome ceasefire
The US and the European Union welcomed the end of hostilities. The ceasefire gives people on both sides some breathing space and allows fuel and other essential supplies to be shipped to the Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Monday. "We extend our condolences to the families of the civilians who lost their lives or were injured."
A spokesman for the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also welcomed the ceasefire, but at the same time called for a speedy and thorough investigation of the civilian victims.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there could be no excuse for killing children, according to a statement from the Communications Ministry. Turkey stands by the Palestinians and the people of Gaza.
The Israeli military launched the "Dawn" military action on Friday with airstrikes against Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. Two jihadist military chiefs were killed during the operation. Since Friday, militant Palestinians have fired more than 1,000 rockets at Israeli towns, according to the military. 200 of them hit the Gaza Strip.
Fatalities in the Gaza Strip
44 people have been killed and 360 injured in the Gaza Strip since Friday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. According to the information, 15 children and 4 women were among the dead. The Palestinians blamed Israel for it. Israel's army, on the other hand, emphasized that misguided jihad rockets had claimed civilian lives in the Gaza Strip.
The group, which is closely linked to Israel's arch-enemy Iran, has been classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US. According to Israeli information, the jihad was planning an attack with anti-tank missiles in the border area with the Gaza Strip before the military operation. The escalation was preceded by the arrest of a PIJ leader in the West Bank, Bassem Saadi, last Monday. Israel then closed the crossings into the Gaza Strip. This was justified with the concern of attacks.
The power supply in the coastal area was reduced from twelve to four hours on Saturday due to a lack of fuel. The Palestinian Ministry of Health then warned against stopping medical care.
Schools, banks, shops and government agencies in the Palestinian territory reopened on Monday. According to Hamas, the ruling party in the Gaza Strip, nine residential buildings were destroyed and around 1,500 residential units damaged in the Israeli airstrikes. On the Israeli side, too, everyday life in the border area returned to normal. Blocked roads were reopened by the military on Monday afternoon.
Around two million people live in the Gaza Strip under very poor conditions. In 2007, Hamas violently seized power in the Mediterranean coast. Israel then tightened a blockade of the area, supported by Egypt. Both countries justify the measure with security interests.
