An Egypt-brokered cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip has raised hopes of easing the humanitarian disaster of Palestinians, but finding a lasting peace should be the focus for the region, analysts said.
Amid growing calls to end sporadic violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, China has urged the international community to work together immediately and find a lasting solution to the crisis, saying the world cannot be accustomed to the violence nor let it go unchecked.
With Israel's far-right coalition government in place, prospects for peace between Palestinians and Israelis are looking even shakier this year, while efforts to broaden Arab-Israeli normalization on the diplomatic front could be strained.