A truce between Israel and Hamas has taken hold after the worst violence in years, but clashes broke out around the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem where similar scenes had touched off the conflict.
Israel bombardment of Gaza and militant rocket attacks on Israeli towns ceased after 11 days under an agreement mediated by Egypt, but the violence in Jerusalem erupted as Cairo prepared to negotiate with both sides on ways to maintain stability.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said they had entered the area around the mosque after stones were thrown at them.
“They are dealing with these disturbances in order to contain the situation,” he said.
Five more bodies were pulled from the rubble in the densely populated Palestinian enclave, taking the death toll to 243, including 66 children, with more than 1900 wounded.
In Israel, the military said a soldier had been killed as well as 12 civilians; hundreds have been treated for injuries after rocket salvoes that caused panic and sent people rushing into shelters as far away as Tel Aviv.
Palestinians who had huddled in fear of Israeli shelling poured into Gaza’s streets, embracing one another in celebration in front of bombed-out buildings. Mosque loudspeakers feted “the victory of the resistance.” Cars drove around flying Palestinian flags and honking horns.
Read the article by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dan Williams in The Canberra Times.