Israelis and Palestinians continue fighting in Gaza Strip
(Baonghean.vn) - Fighting resumed in the Gaza Strip after the 72-hour ceasefire ended. On the morning of Saturday, August 9, the Israeli army conducted more than 20 airstrikes on the strip, while many rockets were fired at Israel from the Palestinian side.
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| An Israeli attack in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, August 9. Photo: AFP/Said Khatib |
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On Friday, a three-day ceasefire between the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and the Jewish state of Israel expired, with 60 rockets fired at Israel, according to the country's military. The Israeli military also announced 24 airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in response to the attack.
Whether or not the Cairo talks will continue remains unclear, making any predictions about the next developments in the Gaza Strip unfounded. "Israel will not negotiate with bombs," said an unnamed official. On the other hand, Egyptian mediators and the Palestinian delegation have issued statements implying that this is not the end of any hope for negotiations.
The United States, Israel's closest ally in the region, has expressed concern over the rising death toll among Palestinian civilians. But a government spokeswoman, Marie Harf, said the end of the ceasefire was entirely Hamas's responsibility. "The Israelis were willing to extend the ceasefire, and Hamas refused and fired rockets at Israel, while continuing to make outrageous demands," she said.
Hamas' demands include lifting the blockade that has strangled the Gaza Strip for eight years and releasing prisoners. Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abou Obaida also raised the possibility of building a port on the Mediterranean Sea - one of the group's top demands. He also demanded "a real end to Israeli violence".
On Thursday evening, Hamas' armed wing put pressure on the Palestinian delegation negotiating in Cairo, "not to accept a ceasefire if the people's demands are not accepted" and declared "ready to fight again".
The United Nations has called for an extension of the truce to allow Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to receive humanitarian aid. About 520,000 Palestinian refugees have returned home, but more than 60,000 are homeless as more than 10,000 houses or apartments have been destroyed or severely damaged, a UN statement said.
(News reported by Le monde on August 9)
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