Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 10 august 2018
Hamas says Gaza cease-fire reached with Israel

By JOSEF FEDERMAN devastated Gaza's econ-
JERUSALEM (AP) — Gaza's omy, while Israel wants an
Hamas rulers said late Thurs- end to rocket fire, as well
day that a truce had been as recent border protests
reached with Israel, ending and launches of incendiary
an intense two-day burst of balloons, and the return of
violence that had pushed the remains of two dead
the region closer to war. But soldiers and two Israelis be-
the deal did not appear to lieved to be alive and held
address the deeper issues by Hamas.
that have prevented the Israel is believed to be of-
bitter enemies from reach- fering an easing, but not an
ing a longer cease-fire ar- end, to the blockade.
rangement. Gaza's Health Ministry iden-
Hamas' Al Aqsa TV chan- tified those killed in the air-
nel reported late Thursday strikes as 23-year-old Enas
that the Egyptian-brokered Khamash and her daughter
deal has taken hold "on Bayan, as well as a Hamas
the basis of mutual calm." It fighter, Ali Ghandour.
said the deal was mediat- Kamal Khamash, the wom-
ed by Egypt and other un- Smoke rises from an explosion caused by an Israeli airstrike on a building of Said al-Mis'hal cul- an's brother-in-law, said the
identified regional players. tural center in Gaza City, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. family was asleep when
A senior Hamas official, Associated Press the projectile hit the house,
speaking on condition of and that her husband had
anonymity because he was more difficult task of bro- came shortly after Israeli Shati refugee camp, a been critically wounded.
not authorized to speak to kering a long-term cease- Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- crowded neighborhood of "This is a blatant crime and
the media, said the agree- fire. tanyahu's Security Cabinet Gaza City. The airstrike set Israel is responsible for it,"
ment merely ended the An Israeli official, speaking ordered the army to take off a powerful explosion he said.
latest round of violence, in on condition of anonymity unspecified "strong action" and sent a huge plume of In southern Israel, two Thai
which Gaza militants fired because he was not au- against Gaza militants as black smoke into the air, laborers were among the
some 200 rockets at Israel thorized to discuss the mat- the military reinforced units causing crowds to scream seven wounded, and rock-
and the Israeli military car- ter with the media, denied along the border. in panic. Medical officials ets damaged buildings in
ried out a similar number of a deal had been reached. Israel and Hamas have said at least seven bystand- the cities of Sderot and
airstrikes in Gaza. He said But early Friday, the situ- fought three wars since ers were wounded. Ashkelon. The military said it
Egypt, which often serves ation in Gaza appeared the Islamic militant group The building is home to a intercepted some 30 rock-
as a mediator between the quiet. seized control of Gaza in popular theater and exhib- ets, while most of the others
sides, would continue the The Hamas announcement 2007. In this week's fight- its plays and other shows on landed in open areas.
ing, the Palestinian Health a daily basis. An Egyptian- At the United Nations, Is-
Ministry said three Palestin- Palestinian cultural society rael's ambassador, Danny
ians, including a pregnant also has an office in the Danon, urged the secre-
woman and her 1-year-old building. tary-general and U.N. Se-
daughter and a Hamas "The deliberate targeting curity Council to condemn
militant, were killed in sepa- of a cultural center with Hamas militants for what
rate airstrikes. Israeli officials airstrikes and destruction he called "the unprovoked
said seven people were ... is a barbaric act," said terrorist attack" on southern
wounded by rocket or mor- Hazem Qassem, a Hamas Israel.
tar fire on the Israeli side. spokesman. He said the In Washington, State De-
At times, Thursday's fighting destruction of the Egyptian partment spokeswoman
resembled the 2014 war. In cultural office was "an Is- Heather Nauert said U.S. of-
Israel, air raid sirens warn- raeli attempt to sabotage" ficials were concerned by
ing of incoming rocket fire the Egyptian cease-fire ef- the situation in Gaza.
wailed in southern Israel forts. "Overall, we condemn the
overnight and throughout The Israeli military said the launching of missile attacks
the day, sending families building served as a Pales- into Israel, and call for an
scrambling into bomb shel- tinian military installation. end to the destructive vio-
ters, canceling outdoor Hamas' Interior Ministry, in- lence. We've seen reports
summer cultural events cluding its secret police, that 180 or so rocket at-
and forcing summer camps has offices in an adjacent tacks have taken place,
indoors. The Israeli air force, site, but those offices were shot from Gaza into Israel,
meanwhile, pounded tar- not hit. and we fully support Israel's
gets across Gaza. Despite the animosity, the right to defend itself, and
A Palestinian rocket struck enemies have signaled, to take actions to prevent
the southern city of Beer- through their contacts with provocations of that na-
sheba late in the after- Egypt, that they want to ture," Nauert said.
noon, landing in an open avoid another war. Reach- Tension along the Israel-
area. It was the first time a ing a deal, however, will Gaza border has escalat-
rocket had hit the city since likely require major conces- ed since late March, when
the 2014 war. sion on both sides. Hamas launched what
Shortly after, an Israeli air- Hamas is demanding the have become regular mass
strike flattened the five- lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian protests along Israel's pe-
story cultural center in the border blockade that has rimeter fence with Gaza. q