Qatar brokers Israel-Hamas truce deal for $30m payout to Gaza

After weeks of Palestinian balloon attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip, interspersed with rocket fire, Hamas agreed to a truce, following which Israel said it would halt its punitive air strikes. The deal was brokered by a Qatari official who delivered $30m in cash assistance to the Hamas-ruled enclave. COGAT, Israel’s liaison agency for the Palestinian territories, confirmed that, after security consultations led by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Gaza’s main goods crossing would re-open and fishermen would be allowed back to work. Israel would also render assistance for Gaza’s rising covid-19 endemic. These concessions, however, would be subject to the continuation of calm on the part of Hamas and “security stability.” If terrorist group failed to deliver on the deal, it would face an appropriate response. This is exactly what happened in numberless previous truces.