Israel-Hamas Cease-fire Holds for Third Day
Voice of America
WASHINGTON - The Israeli-Hamas cease-fire held for a third day on Sunday even as authorities in Gaza and international health agencies rushed to treat 1,900 people wounded by the Israeli airstrikes.
In Jerusalem, Israeli police, without incident, admitted Jewish visitors to a contested holy site at the al-Aqsa mosque compound that is revered by both Jews and Muslims. Conflict at al-Aqsa was one of the precipitating events that triggered 11 days of cross-border attacks between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza before a cease-fire took effect on Friday. The worst fighting in the region since 2014 left 248 people dead in Gaza and 13 in Israel, whose Iron Dome air defense system knocked down many of the missiles launched from Gaza. With the immediate conflict halted, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday the United States believes it is time for a settlement that grants “equal measures of rights for the Israelis and Palestinians.”
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