Palestinians and Israelis went about their day blanketed in relative calm Thursday, after a cease-fire brokered hours before gave citizens in the volatile area their first quiet night in more than a week.
If Israel and the Hamas terrorists who run the Gaza Strip can maintain peace until 9 p.m. local time , border areas from Gaza will be opened, allowing people and goods to move in and out of the territory.
The truce brokered by Egypt took effect at 9:00 p.m. local time Wednesday.
Gazans poured into the streets after the cease-fire began, with some firing guns in celebration. In the West Bank Palestinian territory, Israel's army said Thursday it arrested 55 senior-level Palestinian terorists who are members of various terrorist factions.
Egypt is monitoring both sides for violations of the cease-fire agreement. The truce follows several days of intense aerial assaults on both sides of the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis dead.
Clinton called the truce “a critical moment for the region.”
“The people of this region deserve a chance to live free from fear and violence and today's agreement is a step in the right direction that we should build on.”
Clinton also praised Egypt's new government for assuming a key role in the effort and for pledging to work with Washington to ensure the cease-fire holds.
On Wednesday, a bomb blast on a bus in central Tel Aviv wounded at least 27 people, some seriously.
New rounds of missile and air attacks rained down on Gaza following the Tel Aviv attack.
Israel and Hamas had traded rocket fire for several days after a barrage of rockets struck Israel. Israel says the attack was a direct response to months of almost daily rocket fire into southern Israel from Gaza. VoA.
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