Peace of sorts returns to wartorn border between Israel and Gaza – but truce is not a lasting solution | World News

A peace seems to have returned with the craggy, brutal border separating Israel and Gaza territory.

The Egyptians managed to negotiate a temporary armistice yesterday, as Palestinian militants sent multiple rocket ships across the border – and the Israeli military targeted missile launch sites run by the Islamic Jihad militant group.

However, a truce is not a solution in a region where conflict is too frequent. Many fear the violence will lead to the fifth all-out war in Gaza since the militant group Hamas took control of the local government in 2007.

The fact that it was avoided may lie with the leaders of Hamas, who seem to have decided not to pursue a common goal with jihad. But the situation is volatile and another strike leading to civilian deaths could change the calculus of both sides.

We see emissions from many rockets marking their positions in the sky. It was a scene followed by shrill screams and the explosion of Israel’s air defense system, known as the Iron Dome. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were pleased with its effectiveness, saying that 97% of the jihadist group’s missiles aimed at urban targets were destroyed.

However, the Israelis rushed to the shelters when they heard the alarm bells – something they have done a lot in the past few days. At one checkpoint, we spliced ​​them inside a large concrete pipe. Local residents told us they come about every 10 minutes.

In Israel, no casualties were reported. But on the other side of the border, health officials say 44 civilians have been killed and 300 others injured. Residents of a settlement called Jabaliya told us 7 children aged 5 to 17 were killed in a huge explosion.

The IDF has countered the claim – releasing a video that it says proved the explosion was caused by an erroneous missile launched by the militants. But few Gazans accept this explanation, and one told us that the force of the explosion was too great for a domestically produced rocket.

The Israelis say they have achieved their goal, killing two senior commanders of the jihadist organization. The funeral of commander Khalid Mansour was attended by thousands of people, many pledging revenge.

This violence doesn’t change anything on the ground in Gaza. Unemployment is high and there is little electricity or clean water. Its residents live under lockdown and have done so since 2007.

The head of the jihadist organization, Ziyad al Nakhala, has little hope of a lasting ceasefire.

“If the occupiers do not abide by what was agreed, we will consider the agreement null and void and we will continue to fight without hesitation.”