Long term ceasefire takes hold

After 50 days of bloody and destructive war, Gaza and Israel finally saw calm after both sides agreed to a long-term truce on Tuesday, August 26. The agreement involved an immediate halt to the violence, and was greeted by celebrations across the besieged coastal enclave. The ceasefire also allowed the entry of aid into Gaza, lifting on fishing restrictions, and, later on, exchange of prisoners and the bodies of the deceased. In a month, negotiators from both sides will return to Egypt to discuss the peace further. However, the truce seems shaky, as both sides said they will rule out key demands of the opposite side. The conflict claimed the lives of 2,143 Palestinians, more than 70% of them civilians according to the United Nations, and 65 soldiers and 6 civilians on the Israeli side.