By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
Gaza City, Palestine-The Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group, reported on Thursday that it had agreed to stop a series of rocket fire on Israel, prompting an end to the most active fighting between the two sides since 2012.
Over two days of violence, Palestinian militants have fired more than sixty rockets into Israel, while Israel responded by caring out a series of air strikes in Gaza. Fortunately, no serious casualties have been reported.
“After the Egyptian brothers initiated contacts with us in the past few hours, we agreed to restore the calm. As long as the occupation honors the calm, we will honor the clam and instructions are being given right now to Al Quds brigades, our military wing, about this understanding,” stated Khaled Al Batch, the Islamic Jihad leader.
Before the truce was reached, the Islamic Jihad resumed its rocket fire on Israel, striking outside areas of two major cities. The previous day saw dozens of rockets being fired on Israel, the largest barrage on Israel since an eight-day assault in late 2012
It was reported by an Egyptian senior security official, who brokered similar truces in the past that Egyptian intelligence officials had been communicating with the sides in brokering an agreement.
Israeli military officials stated it retaliated with renewed air strikes on “seven terror sites in southern Gaza. Until this week, both sides largely observed a ceasefire that ended the Israeli offensive against rocket launchers in November 2012.
“Since yesterday, there has seen a substantial deterioration in the safety of the residents in southern Israel. We have responded and will continue to do so to eliminate threats as they develop,” said Lt. Colonel Peter Lerner.
During this latest attack, Gaza’s ruling Hamas movement has not been involved. Israeli leaders, however, say that they hold Hamas responsible because it rules the coastal Palestinian territory. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, responded by saying “Israel bears full responsibility fo the escalation.”
Gaza has been controlled by Hamas since them overrunning the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. Currently, Abbas governs in the West Bank located on the opposite side of Israel.
“We condemn the aggression and all forms of military escalation, including rockets,” stated Hamas at a meeting in Cameron in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
For more information, please see the following:
Aljazeera-Attacks continue despite Gaza truce claims-14 March 2014
National-Rockets fired from Gaza despite ceasefire with Israel-14 March 2014
BBC News-Gaza militants and Israel exchange strikes despite ‘truce’-13 March 2014
Jerusalem Post-Sporadic rocket fire from Gaza continues to hit South despite ‘ceasefire’-13 March 2014
