Truce ends Gaza cross-border fire sparked by prisoner death

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories — An uneasy truce between Israel and Gaza fighters was holding on Wednesday following a major exchange of cross-border fire sparked by the death in custody of a Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike.

Violence flared from Tuesday after the inmate, Khader Adnan, 45, from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, died following an 87-day hunger strike after his arrest by Israel over ties to the armed group Islamic Jihad.

More than 100 rockets were fired from the blockaded Gaza Strip at Israel through the day and overnight, while the Israeli forces struck targets in the enclave, killing at least one man, Hashel Mubarak, 58, and wounding several more.

Islamic Jihad early Wednesday announced a truce following overnight talks involving Qatari, Egyptian and United Nations mediators, sources in Islamic Jihad and fellow militant group Hamas told AFP.

Islamic Jihad declared that "one round of confrontation has ended, but the march of resistance continues and will not stop".

"Our brave fighters have proven their loyalty and commitment to defending their people," group spokesman Tariq Salmi said in a statement.

Adnan had become a resistance hero to many Palestinians through a string of high-profile hunger strikes during at least 13 stints in Israeli custody.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh demanded Israel return his body to his family.

"We stress, as we have informed all the mediators who intervened, the necessity of handing over the body of the martyr Khader Adnan to his patient family," Haniyeh said in a statement.

Qaddura Fares, head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group, said Palestinian authorities had asked Israel for Adnan's body on Tuesday but were yet to "obtain a response".

Adnan's widow, Randa Mousa, after hearing of his death on Tuesday morning, had urged against any rocket fire from Gaza, saying she did not want "a drop of blood to be shed".

But the rocket fire soon started, with around 100 launched from Gaza towards Israel according to Islamic Jihad, a barrage that sparked an initial Israeli response with tank fire.

Israel said on Wednesday it had carried out pre-dawn air strikes targeting Gaza “weapons manufacturing sites, outposts, military complexes and an underground terror tunnel” belonging to Hamas.

One strike north of Gaza City killed a Palestinian man, the 58-year-old Mubarak, and wounded five others, the Hamas-run health ministry said.

Dozens of mourners latter waved the green flag of Hamas as they gathered for Mubarak’s funeral.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell expressed concern over the violence after talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Brussels on Tuesday.

Borrell condemned recent attacks against Israelis and stressed the EU’s commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself, while warning that “any response must be proportionate and in line with international law”.

Israel generally holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from Gaza, regardless of which militant group launches it. The Islamist group has controlled the territory since ousting loyalists of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in 2007.

In August 2022, three days of fighting between Islamic Jihad and Israel left 49 Palestinians dead, including 12 militants, according to the United Nations.