Hamas Announces Ceasefire With Israel Following Weeks of Attacks

JERUSALEM, Israel – After weeks of battling waves of incendiary balloons and sporadic rocket attacks, Israel finalized a ceasefire agreement with Hamas Monday night.

Hamas announced that the ceasefire was reached “after a round of discussions and contacts, including the Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi.”

Israel did not explicitly confirm the deal but admitted it would fully reopen the fishing zone off the coast of Gaza Strip along with border crossings beginning Tuesday.

“This decision will be tested on the ground: If Hamas, which is responsible for all actions that are taken in the Gaza Strip, will fail to meet its obligations, Israel will act accordingly,” Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians said in a statement.

The announcement comes after two weeks of low-level violence on Israel’s southern border with Gaza. Israel has responded to dozens of incendiary balloon attacks and rockets by carrying out airstrikes against Hamas' positions in the strip.

Before the ceasefire, Hamas vowed to continue the attacks until the blockade on Gaza is eased.

Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007 to keep weapons from being imported into the territory after Hamas rose to power. The blockade has crippled Gaza’s economy and left its healthcare system unprepared to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Israel regularly tightens restrictions on the coastal enclave in response to attacks emanating from the territory.

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