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Debris fly as smoke rises following an Israeli air strike, amid Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, May 20, 2021. (REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa )
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet has approved a unilateral cease-fire to halt an 11-day military operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media said late Thursday.
The decision came after heavy U.S. pressure to halt the offensive. Multiple reports said the cease-fire was to go into effect at 2 a.m., just over three hours after the decision.
Netanyahu’s office could not immediately confirm the reports, and there was no immediate reaction from Hamas.
Palestinian women carry posters that read “no for terrorizing the children, Gaza, Palestine,” during a protest supporting the children in Gaza, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, May 20, 2021. (AP Photo)
Since fighting broke out on May 10, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes that it says have targeted Hamas’ infrastructure, including a vast tunnel network. Hamas and other militant groups embedded in residential areas have fired over 4,000 rockets at Israeli cities, with hundreds falling short and most of the rest intercepted.
At least 230 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials, while 12 people in Israel have died.
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