Armistice Day Israel and Palestinians Seem to be Holding Out

The truce between Israel and the Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad appears to be held on Friday morning.

Journalists report that new Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip are not forthcoming. In Israel, air alarms are silent after a week and a half of sustained rocket fire.

Civilians on both sides of the border responded with relief to the cessation of hostilities. In Palestinian areas, people took to the streets to party, and in Israel, people also responded happily.

“I hope this holds up because all we want here is to get on with our lives without alarms or fire,” a Tel Aviv man told AFP news agency.

The truce came about after mediation by Egypt. According to insiders, that country is sending delegations to Tel Aviv and the Palestinian areas to monitor compliance with the agreements.

A senior Hamas official warned that his group still has “a hand on the trigger.” Ezzat al-Reshiq told Reuters news agency in Doha that Hamas is demanding that the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem be protected. The eviction of Palestinians in East Jerusalem must also be prevented. He called that a “red line”.