Lull in Gaza amid urgent UN calls for a ceasefire
A relative lull descended on the war-torn Gaza Strip at the start of a major Muslim holiday today, as international efforts intensified to end the three-week war between Israel and Hamas and the UN called for an “immediate” ceasefire.
The calm came as Muslims started celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
The Israeli military said it had not carried out any attacks in Gaza since 9.30pm local time yesterday but that troops on the ground were pressing on with efforts to destroy the cross-border tunnels constructed by Hamas for attacks inside Israel.
The military also said that Hamas fired a single rocket into Israel in the early hours today, but that there was no damage or casualties.
The Israeli army opened artillery fire on Beit Lahia in northern Gaza in response to the rocket fired at Ashkelon, said the office of Israel‘s military spokesman. “Quiet will be met with quiet,” the office statement said.
In New York, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called for “an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire,” its strongest statement yet on the conflict that has already killed 1,030 Palestinians and 43 Israeli soldiers.
Two Israeli civilians and a Thai worker in Israel have also died in rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza.
The pressure for a ceasefire followed new attacks launched by Israel and Hamas yesterday despite back-and-forth proposals for another temporary halt to the fighting.
The Security Council urged Israel and Hamas “to accept and fully implement the humanitarian ceasefire into the Eid period and beyond.”
It said this would allow for the delivery of urgently needed assistance.
The council’s presidential statement also called on the parties “to engage in efforts to achieve a durable and fully respected ceasefire, based on the Egyptian initiative.”
Israel did not immediately comment on the statement.
Yesterday, US President Barack Obama telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express his concern over the mounting Palestinian casualties.
The White House said Mr Obama reiterated that Israel has a right to defend itself and condemned Hamas’s rocket attacks.
He said a lasting peace will ultimately require a demilitarised Gaza and dismantling of terror groups.
The president is also pushing for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire that would allowIsraeli and Palestinian civilians to return to normalcy.
International diplomats have hoped that a temporary lull in the fighting could be expanded into a more sustainable truce to end the bloodshed.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
