Israel and Islamic Jihad could agree to a ceasefire this afternoon

The terrorist group conditions the cessation of hostilities to the end of the bombings and the release of its senior official Basaam Sadi

7 (EUROPE PRESS)

Israel and Islamic Jihad would have reached a ceasefire agreement that would enter into force this afternoon, as reported by multiple Palestinian sources and Egyptian mediators, although the Palestinian terrorist organization has indicated that, for now, no specific pact has been reached given that the Israeli Army continues to bomb its positions in Gaza and is still holding Basaam Sadi, one of its senior officials.

This has finally been confirmed by Anwar abu Taha, a member of the organization’s “politburo”, who has also called for the release of Palestinian prisoner Jalil Awawdeh, who has been in critical condition for weeks due to the hunger strike he began in protest at the conditions of the detention without charges to which he is subjected in Israel, reports the Israeli newspaper ‘Haaretz’.

Sadi’s arrest earlier this week was the immediate cause of increased tension between Israel and Islamic Jihad, which promised harsh reprisals after the arrest. Israel proceeded to block the entry points to Gaza, which has practically run out of fuel, and decided to launch a military operation on Friday, ‘Dawn’, which has already left more than thirty Palestinians dead, including two leaders of the organization and four children, and more than 250 wounded.

At least three Israelis, including two soldiers, have been injured by the more than 700 rockets launched by the terrorist organization, most of which have been intercepted by the Iron Dome defensive system.

However, all parties agree that talks exist. “They are working on specific details, but an agreement has not yet been reached,” a spokesman confirmed to Al Jazeera. “Rockets continue to be fired on the ground and Israeli attacks continue,” he said from Gaza.

For now, the announcement scheduled for this afternoon by the Egyptian negotiators seems to have been delayed, although there are other details that seem to fuel hopes of a cessation of fighting. In fact, and according to the Israeli newspaper ‘Haaretz’, the senior Egyptian Intelligence official and Army Colonel Hazem Iman is already in Gaza to supervise the application of the ceasefire, when it is signed.

For its part, the Al Arabiya chain, citing its own sources, has indicated that the Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza, would already be aware of the terms of the agreement and would have given its approval.

Sources from the pan-Arab chain Al Jazeera estimate that the ceasefire could come into force around 8:00 p.m., although other sources close to the talks have informed the Israeli outlet Walla News that “the exact time has not yet been defined.”