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Israel, Palestinian Militants Announce Truce After Dozens Killed Over Weekend
8.8.22 – An Egypt-brokered truce between Israel and the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) came into effect (CNN) last night after a weekend of violence in which more than forty Palestinians were killed, including two PIJ commanders (AP). Four women and fifteen children were among those killed, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Israel began launching missiles (Reuters) at PIJ targets on Friday, saying it aimed to prevent a retaliatory attack after arresting the group’s leader. PIJ responded by firing rockets at Israel, though no Israelis were killed. The terms of the cease-fire were not immediately made public.

The violence was the worst fighting between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip since May 2021. Unlike that period, however, Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, did not participate in the recent fighting.

 

Analysis

 

“[Hamas] kept out of the fray. This is partly because it is satisfied to see its smaller rival pulverized by the Israelis, and partly because it is reluctant to jeopardize the modest improvement in Gaza’s economy since the last big bout of violence last year,” the Economist writes.

“Going into the Gaza offensive, the centrist [caretaker Prime Minister Yair] Lapid, a former TV host and author, lacked the security credentials that Israelis often seek in their leaders. It was seen as a glaring weakness as he faces off against former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who portrays himself as a security hawk, in November elections,” the Associated Press’s Tia Goldenberg and Emily Rose write.

 

At this webinar, CFR’s Steven A. Cook joined George Mason University’s Marc Gopin and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Zaha Hassan to discuss challenges to Israeli-Palestinian coexistence.