Gaza Celebrates 'Victory'

On May 21, hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets in the Gaza Strip to celebrate the 'victory' in the confrontation that erupted with the Israeli army on May 10. According to the Palestinian radio station Saut Al-Aqsa, mass marches and vehicles adorned with Palestinian flags began in the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire between Israel and militant groups in the coastal enclave came into effect at 03:00 Yerevan time.

“We will rebuild the homes destroyed by the occupiers. We will bring back the smiles to the faces of those who were wounded. We promise each of the martyrs that we will continue their path,” addressed Khalil al-Haya, deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, to the participants of the marches. “Celebrations are now taking place in all Palestinian cities—both in the West Bank and in Gaza and Jerusalem—because this is our collective victory, the result of our joint efforts,” added the movement's representative.

Meanwhile, earlier, Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri emphasized that the Palestinians are “ready” for “any scenarios” regarding the unfolding events in the region. He added that the battle, which Palestinian groups have dubbed “Saif al-Quds” (“Sword of Jerusalem”), is “just one of the battles on the way to the liberation of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, while welcoming the agreement on the ceasefire, expressed gratitude to the international mediators led by Egypt for their efforts in establishing a ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza militants. He also promised that the Palestinian authorities would soon approach the International Criminal Court to initiate an investigation into “the crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

The ceasefire regime between Israel and the Palestinian groups in Gaza came into effect at 02:00 on May 21. The ceasefire was achieved with the active mediation of Egypt after 11 days of cross-border shelling. On the evening of May 20, Israel’s narrow political-military cabinet approved a unilateral ceasefire at a special meeting. The Hamas movement agreed to the ceasefire under Cairo's mediation, TASS reported.