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Temporary ceasefire allows humanitarian aid to enter Gaza

July 17, 2014 at 1:34 pm

A temporary UN-brokered ceasefire has been in place over the Gaza Strip today, Thursday. The agreement was for all military operations to stop between 0700 and 1200 GMT.

A spokesman for Hamas, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that resistance groups agreed to accept the UN proposal “to attend to humanitarian needs”. This, according to an Israeli army official, would mean that humanitarian aid will be allowed to enter the beleaguered territory, which has been under a general blockade since 2006 and military bombardment since Tuesday last week.

Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza in droves, with police officers directing traffic. Banks were open and the besieged population took the opportunity to stock up on essential supplies.

A number of people went to their homes which were bombed and destroyed by the Israelis. Although distressed, the homeowners sought to assess the damage and salvage whatever personal belongings were still intact.