Egypt announced on Wednesday that a ceasefire had been reached to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, starting later in the day.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr made the announcement in a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The ceasefire would come into effect at 15:00 EDT, said Amr, whose country has been at the heart of efforts to broker an end to the conflict.
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Here are the details of the agreement. This is a big development not only for Israel and Gaza, but post-revolutionary Egypt as well. If the ceasefire holds, it will be a huge win for President Mohammed Morsi, and he’ll reap lots of credit for helping broker the agreement.
“Let’s understand what the precipitating event here that’s causing the current crisis and that was an ever-escalating number of missiles that were landing not just in Israeli territory but in areas that are populated, and there’s no country on Earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders,” Obama said at press conference in Thailand at the start of a three-nation tour in Asia.
“So we are fully supportive of Israel’s right to defend itself from missiles landing on people’s homes and workplaces and potentially killing civilians.”
He added: “Israel has every right to expect that it does not have missiles fired into its territory. If that can be accomplished without a ramping up of military activity in Gaza, that’s preferable. It’s not just preferable for the people of Gaza. It’s also preferable for Israelis, because if Israeli troops are in Gaza, they’re much more at risk of incurring fatalities or being wounded.”
Regarding the peace process, Obama said this: “Those who champion the cause of Palestinians should recognize that if we see a further escalation of the situation in Gaza than the likelihood of us getting back on any kind of peace track that leads to a two-state solution is going to be pushed off way into the future.” Obviously, this is a hornet’s nest, but should Obama have taken this stance? Does this reflect what’s actually happening in the region?
~950 Gaza sites have been struck by IDF attacks since Wednesday
~400Palestinian missiles have hit Israel during the same period of time
180airstrikes were launched at the Gaza Strip today
three rockets have been fired at Tel Aviv from Gaza; all were intercepted
In non-numerical updates: Israeli missiles today hit Hamas police headquarters and the Gaza prime minister’s office (the PM wasn’t inside). Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi is reportedly planning to hold four-way talks with the emir of Qatar, the prime minister of Turkey, and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in an attempt to resolve the crisis. source [1] [2] [3]
The last contact we have from our people on board was that they were going to be boarded. We have no confirmation from them of how they are, and we may not for some time hear directly from them.David Heap, activist on Israeli/Palestinian issues • Discussing the fate that befell the Estelle, a european vessel boarded and seized by the Israeli Navy for trying to breach the state’s maritime blockade, which was imposed in 2009 amid fears of weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip. This isn’t the first time the blockade has been tested by activists proclaiming a mission of humanitarian aid; back in 2009, a raid on a six-ship flotilla resulted in the deaths of nine passengers. In this case, though, there is no reported loss of life — an Israeli spokesman said the ship was seized without incident, and those on board were being turned over to the police. Included on the Estelle’s passenger list: five members of European parliaments, as well as a Canadian lawmaker. source
On March 16, 2003, pro-Palestinian activist Rachel Corrie died while protesting against the Israeli government, which was attempting to tear down a settlement in the Gaza Strip. Corrie literally stood between a settlement and a military bulldozer. The bulldozer crushed her. Now an Israeli court says there’s no way the bulldozer driver could have seen her, and that she put herself in danger by staying put, considering that the U.S. warned Americans to stay away. Her parents don’t see it that way. “I believe this was a bad day, not only for our family, but for human rights, humanity, the rule of law and also for the country of Israel,” said Rachel’s mother, Cindy. She and her husband, Craig, sued for $1, in a symbolic gesture. They lost.
Released Palestinian prisoners embrace their families in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. Hamas agreed to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, whose arrivals set off ecstatic celebrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where large crowds and dignitaries greeted them. (AP/Getty Images)
Remember, there were passionate returns on both sides in the Gilad Shalit case, no matter the controversy.
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — After four years, Egypt on Saturday permanently opened the Gaza Strip’s main gateway to the outside world, bringing long-awaited relief to the territory’s Palestinian population and a significant achievement for the area’s ruling Hamas militant group.
Photo: Suhaib Salem / Reuters
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