After three days, Israel and the Palestinian group, Islamic Jihad, have concluded a ceasefire. The ceasefire came into effect at 11.30pm local time on Sunday and appears to have held on Monday morning. However, both sides have said they will respond to any attacks. The ceasefire was first announced by Islamic Jihad, and then Israel. Both parties thanked Egypt for brokering the ceasefire. Qatar and the UN assisted in the mediation. Israel claims it attacked Gaza to prevent terrorist attacks by the Islamic Jihad group. Hamas, which usually plays a central role when there are flare-ups in Gaza, has stayed on the sidelines this round. – Islamic jihad is a militant group that has fought against Israel since the 80s and has an Islamist ideology, but unlike Hamas, they do not engage in state building, says PRIO researcher Jørgen Jensehaugen to news. Jørgen Jensehaugen is a researcher at PRIO. Photo: PRIO – They are not a political party. Hamas is a militant group and a political party, while Islamic Jihad is only a militant group. Civilians killed Israel says it has launched targeted attacks against members of Islamic Jihad, but according to Palestinian spokesmen half of those killed are civilians. 44 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks, and 350 have been injured. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 15 of those killed are children. Islamic Jihad has fired rockets at Israel, but most have been intercepted by Israel’s “Iron Dome” air defense system. According to the Israeli authorities, a total of 34 Israelis have been injured in the attack. Rockets fired from Gaza. Photo: Hatem Moussa / AP In a statement, US President Joe Biden says that he welcomes the ceasefire and wants an investigation into civilian killings. Biden wants “both sides to implement the ceasefire and secure petrol and humanitarian supplies to Gaza”. On Monday morning, the news agency AFP reports that Israel is allowing trucks with petrol into Gaza. – Part of the problem with the way Gaza is handled is that you go through cycles of war without the real problems, such as the blockade, being addressed, says Jørgen Jensehaugen. Since 2005, Gaza has been under a blockade by Israel, which controls imports into the Gaza Strip. The blockade has exceptions for some humanitarian goods. – That is the big problem for Gaza. With the blockade, groups in Gaza constantly have another reason and excuses to attack Israel, which results in Israel attacking back, says Jensehaugen. – There will be rounds of war that are put on pause, but the underlying political issues are never resolved. “Fragile situation” The UN’s special coordinator for the peace process in the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, writes on Twitter that the situation is fragile, and that he urges all parties to maintain the ceasefire. Palestinian rescuers search for victims after an attack on a house in Gaza. Photo: MOHAMMED SALEM / Reuters Jørgen Jensehaugen believes the international community must do more to ensure long-term peace in Gaza. – The international community should not think that it should only get involved in Gaza every time there is a conflict there. They must get involved to resolve the conflict, and not just every time there is violence, says Jensehaugen. Last week’s attack is the biggest flare-up since the 11-day war last spring that killed 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
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