JERUSALEM: Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire Thursday, halting a bruising 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip, brought life in much of Israel to a standstill and left more than 200 people dead.
At 2 a.m. local time, just as the cease-fire took effect, frenzy life returned to the streets of Gaza. People went out of their homes, some shouting 'Allahu Akbar' or whistling from balconies. Many fired in the air, celebrating the truce.
A man and boy celebrate in the streets following a ceasefire brokered by Egypt between Israel and the two main Palestinian armed groups in Gaza on May 21, 2021. - Israel and the two main Palestinian armed groups in Gaza, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, announced a ceasefire on May 20, 2021, aimed to end the most devastating conflict between them for seven years. The truce brokered by Egypt was announced following mounting international pressure to end 11 days of conflict that has claimed lives on both sides, with Israeli jets pounding Gaza with air strikes as militants fired thousands of rockets towards Israel. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
Already have an active account? Log in here to continue
reading.
Or Subscribe
to the Premium
Subscription plan to access this subscriber-exclusive article.