Israel Agrees to Hamas’ Terms, Reaches Deal with Gaza

A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas kicked in Tuesday morning, following a monthlong barrage of rockets, incendiary balloons, and exploding kites landing in southern Israel. The fragile agreement, brokered by the Qatari envoy to the Gaza Strip, calls for Israel to reopen all terminals for the entry of supplies such as fuel, cement and construction materials into Gaza and, in addition, to lift the ban on all fishing activity in the Mediterranean Sea. In return, Hamas, which controls Gaza and is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and the European Union, consented to halting the launch of rockets and explosives at villages and towns near the border. Israeli officials and human rights groups expressed concerns in recent days of a possibly massive outbreak of coronavirus in Gaza, leading to a potential humanitarian crisis in the densely populated area.