Israel not fully living up to ceasefire pledges

Under the agreement, Tel Aviv pledged to allow efforts for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip that it badly damaged during 50 days of bombardment in the summer.

The miserable situation in Gaza continues due to the Israeli blockade. The siege is compounded by what some people call the Egyptian blockade, namely the closure most of the time of the Rafah crossing -- the only crossing that bypasses Israel.

In line with the deal, Tel Aviv was supposed to extend the fishing limit for the Palestinian fishermen gradually to at least nine nautical miles.

So far it has only raised the limit to six nautical miles. But even fishermen, who come close to five nautical miles, get shot at and their boats get damaged or they themselves are arrested.

The Israeli regime also forbids Palestinians to farm their lands in the so-called buffer zone, along the eastern perimeter of the Gaza Strip, which makes up to 25 percent of Gaza’s most arable land.

The war killed about 2,140 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and left more than 11,000 others injured. Over 100,000 of Gazans also still remain homeless as a result of the war.

The latest Israeli war ended on August 26 by an Egyptian-brokered truce, which took effect after Cairo negotiations. The deal stipulates the ease of Israel’s seven-year-old blockade as well as the provision of a guarantee that Palestinian demands will be met.

Meanwhile, Palestinian factions are preparing for a fresh round of talks with the Israelis within a week.

HK