On Monday, Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing, allowing trucks carrying fuel and vital goods to enter into Palestinian areas after a cease-fire was agreed upon. The cease-fire ended three days of intense fighting during which Palestinians endured casualties. Kerem Shalom is the only commercial crossing located in Gaza, and its reopening is expected to help ease tensions between Israel and Hamas. Gaza’s ruling factions remained on the sidelines when airstrikes killed 20 militants last week. Most of the militants were members of the Islamic Jihad, according to the Israeli military. However, many civilians were killed in the attacks when more than 1,100 rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel.
Israel stated on Monday that all limitations on movement for residents located near the Gaza strip would be lifted. This has been taken as a sign that Israel expects the cease-fire to last. In Gaza, residents were able to shop in local markets and health and education services resumed normal operations. The last round of fighting marked the deadliest period since an 11-day conflict that occurred in May 2021. This time, Hamas made a rare move by denying calls by the Islamic Jihad to join in the fighting.
