Israel Responsible For Violence In Gaza Strip By Rejecting Ceasefire Proposal - Ambassador

CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2021) Israel became fully responsible for ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip after deciding to turn down Egypt's humanitarian ceasefire initiative, Palestinian Ambassador in Cairo Diab Allouh told Sputnik on Monday.

Al-Arabiya broadcaster reported last week, citing sources, that Israel had rejected Cairo's plan for the year-long humanitarian ceasefire with the Palestinians proposed by an Egyptian delegation during a visit to Tel Aviv. Israel reportedly feared the start of a ground military operation.

"Egypt has put forward an initiative to end the violence in the Gaza Strip, but Israel refused and now is refusing to stop the hostilities ... Israel bears full responsibility for the continuation of the violence and its consequences," the ambassador said.

Violence between Palestinians and Israelis erupted last week on the border of the Gaza Strip.� Some 3,100 rockets have since been launched from the enclave into Israel, with about 1,210 of them intercepted, while the Israeli military launched hundreds of rockets at what it claimed were Hamas infrastructure buildings across the border.

Since the start of the hostilities, over 200 Palestinians, including 58 children, have been killed, and about a thousand injured, while Israel reported 10 people killed and 50 others seriously injured.