The truce faced an early test when clashes broke out between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police following Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem that is sacred to Jews and Muslims. It was unclear what sparked the violence.
Police fired stun grenades and tear gas, and Palestinians hurled rocks and at least one firebomb after hundreds took part in a celebratory demonstration in which they waved Palestinian and Hamas flags and cheered the militant group. Clashes between protesters and police there earlier this month were one of the main triggers for the war.
Protesters also clashed with Israeli troops in parts of the occupied West Bank, which has seen violent demonstrations in recent days linked to Jerusalem and Gaza.
Gaza truce faces early test as Palestinians claim victory; Israel warns Hamas
By Fares Akram
Palestinians celebrate cease fire with Israel
Footage shared on Instagram by local photographer and journalist Hashem Hamada shows a crowd celebrating the Israeli-Palestinian truce in Gaza City. (Credit: Hashem Hamada via Storyful)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Palestinians rallied by the thousands Friday after a cease-fire took effect in the latest Gaza war, with many viewing it as a costly but clear victory for the Islamic militant group Hamas. Israel vowed to respond with a new level of force to further hostilities.
The 11-day war left more than 250 dead the vast majority Palestinians and brought widespread devastation to the already impoverished Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. But the rocket barrages that brought life to a standstill in much of Israel were seen by many Palestinians as a bold response to perceived Israeli abuses in Jerusalem, the emotional heart of the conflict.
By Syndicated Content
By Emma Farge
GENEVA (Reuters) â U.N. agencies appealed on Friday for urgent medical supplies and access to Gaza, saying thousands of Palestinian injuries risk âoverwhelmingâ some health facilities after 11 days of violence.
A truce took hold on Friday after the heaviest fighting in years between Israel and Palestinian militants, although aid officials warned that it would take Gaza years to recover from the latest flare-up, the fourth conflict since 2008.
World Health Organization spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a virtual U.N. briefing focused on the impact of the violence in the Palestinian territories that some 8,538 injuries had been reported on top of 257 fatalities, saying they risked âoverwhelming health facilitiesâ.
The conflict between protestors and Israeli police occurred after Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa, which is a flashpoint holy site sacred to both Muslims and Jews.