Hamas announces new deal to end escalation with Israel
August 31, 2020
Hamas and Israel agreed to end recent hostilities with Israel and ease restrictions on the Palestinian enclave. The deal comes after weeks of escalation and following intensive talks mediated by Qatar.
Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, announced a new deal on Monday to cease escalating hostilities with Israel.
The agreement was reached following intensive mediation carried out by Qatar and Egypt. The Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi had traveled back and forth between the two sides in order to secure the ceasefire.
The office of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, declared that "an understanding was reached to rein in the latest escalation and end (Israeli) aggression against our people," following the mediation talks.
Palestinians stand holding inflated balloons and plastic bags attached with incendiary devicesImage: Getty Images/AFP/S. Khatib
The announcement included a series of projects which are intended to improve the situation of Palestinians in the Gaza strip and alleviate some of the consequences of the coronavirus crisis.
An end to the violence
Hamas had eased up on their attacks against Israel during the pandemic, however, violence between the two sides once again increased in recent weeks after months of calm.
The new attacks included rockets as well as so-called fire bombs — crude explosives devices attached to balloons, condoms or plastic bags which have set off over 400 fires in southern Israel, burning large areas of farmland.
Smoke billows from a building following an Israeli air attack on GazaImage: Reuters/M. Shana
The Israeli response consisted of almost daily military strikes against Hamas positions since August 6. Israel had also recently prohibited the import of fuel into the coastal enclave which had left the people living there with just four hours of electricity a day.
Fishing zones along the Gazan coast had also been closed off.
'A total halt'
In exchange for "a total halt" to incendiary attacks, the deal calls for relaxing restrictions on fuel deliveries.
"Fuel supplies will return and the power station will be restarted from Tuesday," a Hamas source told news agency AFP.
Around two million people live in Gaza under difficult conditions caused by a blockade from both Israel and neighboring Egypt. Observers have expressed concern about the danger of new coronavirus outbreaks which have appeared in the region.
Coronavirus in Gaza: Trying to avert disaster
What was long feared has now become reality — the COVID-19 pandemic has reached the closed-off Gaza Strip. It's a race against time to head off the outbreak and stop a catastrophe.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Hana
Fighting the coronavirus
Coronavirus has reached the Gaza Strip, one of the world's most densely populated areas. A dozen cases of COVID-19 have been officially confirmed. The coastal strip on the Mediterranean Sea is home to about 2 million people spread across 365 square kilometers (140 square miles) — roughly 6,000 people per square kilometer. As a precaution, workers have disinfected the streets in several areas.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/A. Amra
Quarantine center in Rafah
After returning from abroad, more than 1,860 people have been divided up and sent to 26 makeshift quarantine facilities. One of those centers is located at the Rafah border crossing, but some people were also sent to converted schools for 21 days. The border crossings to Egypt and Israel have largely been closed since mid-March; only those returning home are allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.
Image: Reuters/WHO in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Insufficient medical care
While some centers still have medical equipment, health care in the Gaza Strip is at a standstill. Only 63 ventilators and 78 intensive care beds are available for 2 million people. COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian issues, said it coordinated the delivery of over 1,500 testing swabs organized by the WHO. Calls to ease Israel's blockade are getting stronger.
Image: Reuters/WHO in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Painted masks
The Health Ministry has declared a state of emergency. Palestinian artists Samah Saed (pictured) and Dorgam Krakeh are painting protective face masks in bright colors in a bid to encourage locals to wear them. If the measures by Islamist group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, fail to contain the virus, the consequences could be disastrous.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Hana
Supply chain is crucial
A total lockdown would be fatal for people here. Around 75% of population is refugees, and all are dependent on the support of workers from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), who still deliver food during the day. But in the evenings, residents must observe a curfew from 5 p.m. until early in the morning.
Image: Reuters/M. Salem
Educating young people
Public life has largely been restricted. However, social distancing and appropriate hygiene measures remain a challenge, especially in the narrow streets and shelters in the refugee camps. In order to educate Gaza's large young population, activists dress up as the virus and visit the refugee camps.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/M. Ajjour
Help from Qatar
The Islamist group Hamas and Qatar maintain a close relationship, and the small emirate has promised to continue providing financial support for the people of Gaza. Last week, Qatar transferred $10 million (€9.25 million) to the Gaza Strip — exactly how remains unknown. Reportedly, every family in need will receive $100.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/A. Amra
Stay home!
Medical facilities in Gaza will be able to treat the first 100 coronavirus cases, according to estimates from the local office of the World Health Organization. After that, the area would be reliant on external support. That is why activists and artists are trying to raise awareness about the importance of staying home.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/M. Ajjour
Cake, campaigns and coronavirus
A bakery in Khan Younis is doing its bit to educate people, baking cakes with masks to draw attention to the pandemic.
