The declaration of a cease-fire in Gaza between the occupation and the Palestinian resistance, with Egyptian mediation
On Saturday evening, Egypt announced that a cease-fire had been reached between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza.
And she said in a brief statement that: “Based on the approval of the two parties, Egypt announces a cease-fire between the Palestinian and Israeli sides at exactly ten o’clock in the evening on 13/5/2023, and accordingly, the ceasefire agreement is adhered to, which includes stopping targeting civilians, demolishing homes, and targeting individuals.” This is immediately after the implementation of the cease-fire begins, and Egypt urges the two parties to implement the agreement and works to follow up on that by communicating with them.
Earlier, the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed correspondent reported that the Egyptian mediation agreement included 3 clauses; It is a cease-fire, stopping the demolition of homes, and stopping targeting civilians on both sides.
The Palestinian resistance fired a new missile salvo, 20 minutes before the cease-fire entered into force.
Prior to that, Egyptian sources familiar with the mediation file led by Cairo between the Palestinian resistance factions in the Gaza Strip and the occupation government told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the next few hours might witness progress in terms of reaching an agreement on a cease-fire.
According to the sources, the Egyptian mediator is waiting for the approval of the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian resistance before announcing the official cease-fire statement.
The sources suggested that the agreement would enter into force at dawn today if a major point of contention was resolved, in light of pressure from the mediators on both sides of the crisis, as well as the US administration’s active intervention during the past few hours with the occupation government.
The sources, who preferred not to be named, revealed that the main dispute has become confined to the issue of the simultaneous cease-fire, in light of the occupation government’s insistence that the resistance not launch any missile rounds in the last moments before the agreement enters into force, stressing that in this case it will respond within the framework of a policy “Reply by reply”.
According to the sources, the two sides have so far adhered to the final scene, and “both of them want a scene to be issued to their supporters as a victory that has been achieved.”
The sources pointed out that the negotiations underway today under Egyptian auspices are not within the framework of a new proposal, pointing out that Cairo presented yesterday only a paper amending the proposal it presented on the second day of the Israeli aggression.
She pointed out that the Islamic Jihad Movement expressed its initial approval of the proposal to stop targeting civilian neighborhoods and buildings, noting that the leaders of the movement, who were all killed, were in their homes and among their families.
The sources said that “Jihad” considers that the commitment of the occupation not to target residential buildings, is in itself an end to the assassination of leaders.
The sources explained: “It seems that to demonstrate its ability to limit its operations against military forces only, it targeted on Friday evening a gathering of Israeli vehicles and soldiers on the border between the Gaza Strip and the occupied territories.”
For its part, the Israeli Channel 13, quoting a security source, reported an official Israeli announcement regarding the ceasefire in the coming hours. However, the source added that regardless of what the “Islamic Jihad” will announce on its part, Israel will not abide by stopping the assassinations.
Channel 13 said that the messages that Israel conveyed to the “Jihad” through the Egyptian mediator is that it will not launch any final strike unless a similar one comes from the resistance.
Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke on the phone with the Minister of Strategic Affairs and former Israeli ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, stressing, according to Israeli media, the need to reach an urgent ceasefire agreement, “to avoid further losses in the war.” lives and to restore calm to the region,” she said.
Earlier, Barak Ravid, a commentator on the “Wallah” website, and a correspondent for the American “Axios” website, said that Egypt had conveyed this evening to Israel a new proposal regarding the cease-fire agreement.
Ravid wrote on his Twitter account that, “according to a source related to efforts to reach a cease-fire, the new Egyptian proposal differs from the proposal that Cairo conveyed yesterday evening to Tel Aviv.”
Cautious optimism
In addition, there was cautious optimism in the Israeli media about the chances of reaching a ceasefire agreement.
Yossi Yashua, the military commentator for the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, wrote on his Twitter account this evening: “With the required caution, it can be said that we have not been closer to a ceasefire than we are now since the start of the military campaign in the Strip.”
For her part, Gili Cohen, political correspondent for Kan channel, wrote on her Twitter account this evening: “The Israeli parties involved in efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement are relatively optimistic.”
Cohen quoted these parties as saying: “Although the Egyptian proposal does not differ radically from the proposal that was presented yesterday evening, it is being studied by Israel in the meantime.”
