Israel and the Palestinians set a truce in Gaza starting Sunday night

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Both sides said that Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have agreed to a Cairo-brokered truce that will go into effect late on Sunday, raising hopes of ending the most serious escalation in the region. Gaza borders in more than a year.

Since Friday, Israeli forces have bombed Palestinian targets until the end of the week, launching long-range missile attacks on their cities.

The Islamic Jihad movement and the Israeli government said in separate statements that the truce would enter into force at 23:30 (20:30 GMT).

The recent clashes echoed the preludes of the previous Gaza wars, although relatively contained, in which Hamas, the Islamist group ruling the Gaza Strip, which has more power than the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, has remained so far.

Gaza officials said 43 Palestinians have been killed so far, about half of them civilians, including children. The rockets threatened much of southern Israel, sending residents in cities including Tel Aviv and Ashkelon to bomb shelters.

Israel launched what it called preemptive strikes on Friday against what it expected to be an Islamic Jihad attack aimed at retaliating for the arrest of the group’s leader, Bassam al-Saadi, in the occupied West Bank.

In response, Islamic Jihad launched hundreds of rockets into Israel. The group said the truce would include Saadi’s release. Israeli officials did not immediately comment.

On Sunday, Islamic Jihad expanded its firing range toward Jerusalem in what it described as retaliation for Israel’s killing of its commander in southern Gaza overnight – the second major officer Israel has lost in the fighting.

Israel said the Iron Dome missiles, which the military estimated a 97% success rate, shot down the missiles west of the city.

Dizzy from yet another wave of bloodshed – after war broke out in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, and last year – Palestinians have been picking among the rubble of homes to salvage furniture or documents.

“Who wants war? Nobody. But we also don’t like to be silent when women, children and leaders are killed,” said a taxi driver in Gaza who identified himself only as Abu Muhammad. “eye for an eye.”

Participated in the coverage Ali Sawafta Ramallah. Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan in Cairo. Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Mark Heinrich, John Stonestreet and Diane Kraft

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