Israel Violated Gaza Ceasefire --Palestine
Christl Leong | | Aug 16, 2014 09:45 AM EDT |
(Photo : REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa )
Palestine's interior ministry accused Israel of violating a Gaza truce that has been in effect since Thursday after it received reports of a cross-border shooting on Friday.
The ministry in Gaza, a territory largely dominated by the Hamas, claimed Israeli forces had shot at homes east of Khan Younis.
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A spokeswoman from the Israeli military dismissed the accusations, saying that the military had no knowledge of the incident.
The five-day truce resumed on Thursday after the previous one expired. It has so far halted weeks of fighting between the two territories which has already killed more than 1,900 Palestinians, most of whom were civilians, 64 Israeli fighters and 3 Israeli civilians.
The ceasefire had gotten off to a shaky start after Israeli troops launched an air strike on Thursday morning in retaliation against rocket fire from across the border in Gaza, a violation of the truce earlier agreed on.
The current truce, brokered by Cairo, gave both sides an additional five days until late Monday to come up with a comprehensive and sustainable solution to end the fighting in Gaza.
Representatives from both sides are expected to reconvene in Egypt on Sunday to resume peace talks and bring their proposals to the table.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security advisers held a closed-door meeting to discuss the upcoming negotiations following a demonstration staged by 10,000 protesters in the country's capital Tel Aviv.
The protesters expressed anger over inconclusive negotiations, citing concerns that rocket fire from Gaza would resume after the truce ends on Monday.
After Friday's meeting, an unidentified Israeli official told media that any accord reached in Cairo should clearly provide Israel with security assurances but did not elaborate on the matter.
While details of the negotiations remain unknown, both sides have stated their expectations.
Israel demands the full demilitarization of Gaza. It also wants the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, to take control of the management of Gaza's 12 kilometer border with Egypt to prevent smuggling in the area.
Palestine wants the permanent lifting of the Gaza blockade and for Israel to reduce the movement restrictions imposed on the region's 1.8 million residents, thereby contributing to a "permanent calm" in the area. Moreover, Palestine is also pushing for the reopening of an airport and the construction of a sea port in the area.
TagsIsrael, Palestine, Hamas, Gaza ceasefire, Gaza Strip, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas
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