72 JAM Gencatan SENJATA di GAZA BERMULA . . .

Adam - Gencatan senjata yang ditaja PBB 72 jam telah bermula di Semenanjung Gaza, percubaan terkini untuk deescalate permusuhan 3 minggu di wilayah-wilayah Palestin, yang telah meragut lebih 1,000 nyawa.

Gencatan senjata itu bermula pada pukul 8 pagi waktu tempatan (05:00 GMT) selepas satu jam pengeboman tentera laut dan udara intensif di utara Gaza, sebagai tentera Israel mengambil peluang untuk memukul sasaran mereka.

Perjanjian antara Israel dan Hamas berhenti untuk seketika permusuhan mereka telah diumumkan sebelum ini oleh Setiausaha Negara Amerika Syarikat John Kerry dan Setiausaha Agung PBB Ban Ki-moon dalam satu kenyataan bersama

"Kami menggesa semua pihak utk bertindak dgn menahan diri sehingga gencatan senjata kemanusiaan ini bermula, dan untuk mematuhi sepenuhnya komitmen mereka dalam gencatan senjata itu," kata kenyataan itu.

"Gencatan senjata ini adalah penting untuk memberi orang awam yang tidak bersalah penangguhan yang amat diperlukan daripada keganasan. Dalam tempoh ini, orang awam di Gaza akan menerima bantuan kemanusiaan segera diperlukan, dan peluang untuk menjalankan fungsi-fungsi penting, termasuk menanam yang mati, menjaga yang cedera, & penstokan semula bekalan makanan, "tekan Kerry & Ban. "Pembaikan lampau tempoh pada air yang penting dan infrastruktur tenaga juga boleh diteruskan dalam tempoh ini."

Delegasi Israel dan Palestin akan memulakan rundingan di Kaherah untuk gencatan senjata yang lebih kekal diselesaikan oleh kerajaan Mesir. "Pihak-pihak akan dapat meningkatkan semua yg isu2 dlm rundingan ini," kata kedua-dua pemimpin antara-bangsa.

Seorang wakil Hamas secara bebas mengesahkan perjanjian gencatan senjata itu.

72-hour CEASEFIRE Starts in GAZA

A UN-brokered 72-hour ceasefire has started in the Gaza Strip, the latest attempt to deescalate the three-week hostilities in the Palestinian territories, which have claimed over 1,000 lives.

The ceasefire started at 8am local time (05:00 GMT) after an hour of intensive naval and aerial bombardment in northern Gaza, as the Israeli forces seized the opportunity to hit their targets.

The agreement between Israel and Hamas to pause their hostilities was announced earlier by US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a joint statement

“We urge all parties to act with restraint until this humanitarian ceasefire begins, and to fully abide by their commitments during the ceasefire,” the statement said.

“This ceasefire is critical to giving innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence. During this period, civilians in Gaza will receive urgently needed humanitarian relief, and the opportunity to carry out vital functions, including burying the dead, taking care of the injured, and restocking food supplies,” Kerry and Ban continued. “Overdue repairs on essential water and energy infrastructure could also continue during this period.”

Israeli and Palestinian delegations will begin negotiations in Cairo for a more permanent ceasefire mediated by the Egyptian government. “The parties will be able to raise all issues of concern in these negotiations,” the two international leaders said.

A representative of Hamas independently confirmed the ceasefire agreement.

Pandangan umum menunjukkan kemusnahan di dalam sebuah masjid di Gaza City, pada 30 Julai 2014 selepas ia melanda dalam serangan semalaman Israel (A general view shows destruction inside a mosque in Gaza City, on July 30 2014 after it was hit in an overnight Israeli strike (AFP Photo/Mahmud Hams)

"Mengakui panggilan dengan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu dan sebagai balasan bagi keadaan rakyat kita, puak rintangan bersetuju dgn tenang dan kemanusiaan bersama 72 jam yang bermula pada hari Jumaat  . . . selagi sisi lain mematuhi itu," kata juru-cakap Hamas Sami Abu Zuhri memberitahu Reuters.

"Semua puak Palestin bersatu di belakang isu ini dalam hal ini," kata Abu Zuhri.

Terdahulu pada hari Khamis, Perdana Menteri Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu mengu-mumkan bahawa IDF akan melengkapkan kemusnahan Hamas, tidak kira apa pun.

"Kami berazam untuk menyelesaikan misi ini dengan atau tanpa gencatan senjata," kata Netanyahu pada permulaan mesyuarat kabinet di Tel Aviv. "Saya tidak akan ber-setuju dgn mana-mana cadangan yang tidak akan membolehkan tentera Israel untuk menyelesaikan tugas penting ini demi keselamatan Israel."

"Acknowledging a call by the United Nations and in consideration of the situation of our people, resistance factions agreed to a 72-hour humanitarian and mutual calm that begins . . . on Friday as long as the other side abides by it," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

"All the Palestinian factions are united behind the issue in this regard," Abu Zuhri said.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the IDF will complete the destruction of Hamas, no matter what.

"We are determined to complete this mission with or without a ceasefire," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv. "I won’t agree to any proposal that will not enable the Israeli military to complete this important task for the sake of Israel's security."

Belia Palestin memeriksa kemusnahan di sebuah masjid di Gaza City, pada 30 Julai 2014 selepas ia melanda dalam serangan semalaman Israel (Palestinian youths inspect destruction at a mosque in Gaza City, on July 30, 2014 after it was hit in an overnight Israeli strike (AFP Photo/Mahmud Hams)

"Hamas telah mengambil pukulan keras dari IDF dan ISA," katanya. "Kami telah melanda keras di ribuan sasaran pengganas: Pusat perintah, senjata roket, kemudahan pengeluaran, kawasan pelancaran dan beratus-ratus pengganas terbunuh"

Selepas 24 hari misi IDF, menurut Kementerian Kesihatan Palestin, angka kematian baru berjumlah tidak kurang daripada 1,437 orang, Maan melaporkan. Pada hari Khamis, 79 orang terbunuh dan 350 cedera, jurucakap Kementerian Kesihatan al-Qidra berkata dalam satu kenyataan. Angka mereka yang cedera kini mencecah 8,265 orang.

“Hamas has taken harsh blows from the IDF and ISA,” he said. “We have struck hard at thousands of terrorist targets: command centers, rocket arsenals, production facilities, launch areas and hundreds of terrorists have been killed.”

After 24 days of IDF's mission, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the new death toll stands at no less than 1,437 people, Maan reports. On Thursday, 79 Palestinians were killed and 350 injured, health ministry spokesman al-Qidra said in a statement. The toll of those injured now stands at 8,265 people.

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