BICOM

The International community gave a warm welcome to the news of a ceasefire last night. Foreign Minister William Hague said it was ‘an important step towards a lasting peace’ and the priority now was to address the underlying causes of the conflict, including more open access to and from Gaza for trade as well as humanitarian assistance, and an end to the smuggling of weapons.

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Egyptian President Mursi and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon all thanked each other for their united efforts to bring the two sides to a truce, emphasising the central role of Egypt in this process and the country’s continued importance in maintaining regional stability. EU leaders also welcomed the development. In a joint statement by EU Commission President Manuel Barroso and EU President Van Rampuy, they noted that it was now essential to ensure that the agreement was implemented and that the violence does not resume.

Meanwhile, the Israeli domestic reaction was more mixed with Sderot residents protesting the ceasefire and calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation. Some Israeli citizens expressed fear that Hamas has been strengthened in the eyes of the Palestinians and that Israel has failed to re-establish deterrence, with the result being the resumption of rocket attacks. While others voiced relief that the conflict did not escalate and hope that if a ground operation became necessary in the future, such a move would at least receive international legitimacy and support.