Palestinian Factions in Gaza Urge Israel to Lift Restrictions on Reconstruction

Palestinian women during a protest calling for lifting the blockade on Gaza. (AFP)
Palestinian women during a protest calling for lifting the blockade on Gaza. (AFP)
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Palestinian Factions in Gaza Urge Israel to Lift Restrictions on Reconstruction

Palestinian women during a protest calling for lifting the blockade on Gaza. (AFP)
Palestinian women during a protest calling for lifting the blockade on Gaza. (AFP)

Palestinian factions in Gaza have demanded that Israel lift the restrictions on the reconstruction of the Strip, following the latest round of military escalation in May.

The National and Islamic Forces Committee held a conference on Sunday stating that the Israeli blockade and the closure of crossings are no longer acceptable, and reconstruction must begin.

Committee coordinator Khaled al-Batsh said the forces are giving the ceasefire mediators a chance to end the siege, allow the entrance of construction materials and guarantee freedom of movement.

He warned that if these efforts fail, the Palestinian people will have no choice but to confront the Israeli occupation to regain their “right to dignity and freedom.”

He stressed the need to end the continuous human suffering that affects all groups, namely those with chronic diseases, in light of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Batsh called for urgent regional and international action to open the Gaza Strip crossings, end the suffering and allow the entrance of reconstruction materials.

Israel has severely restricted the movement across the Gaza crossings with the eruption of clashes with armed factions in Gaza on May 10.

Egypt brokered a ceasefire agreement to end the 11-day conflict, which killed more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis and led to extensive destruction of homes and infrastructure in the enclave.

Later, Israel allowed a partial opening of the crossings and the entry of basic humanitarian aid while maintaining broad restrictions on imports, including the access of construction materials and export operations, according to Palestinian sources.



Lebanon Detains Several People on Suspicion of Firing Rockets at Israel

A view shows a damaged site in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila, as Israeli troops withdrew from most of south Lebanon, in Lebanon, February 19, 2025. (Reuters)
A view shows a damaged site in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila, as Israeli troops withdrew from most of south Lebanon, in Lebanon, February 19, 2025. (Reuters)
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Lebanon Detains Several People on Suspicion of Firing Rockets at Israel

A view shows a damaged site in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila, as Israeli troops withdrew from most of south Lebanon, in Lebanon, February 19, 2025. (Reuters)
A view shows a damaged site in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila, as Israeli troops withdrew from most of south Lebanon, in Lebanon, February 19, 2025. (Reuters)

The Lebanese military said it has detained a group of people linked to firing rockets into Israel last month.

In a statement issued late Wednesday night, the army said it had detained several people, including a number of Palestinians, who were involved in firing rockets in two separate attacks toward Israel in late March that triggered intense Israeli airstrikes on parts of Lebanon. Lebanon’s Hezbollah group denied at the time it was behind the firing of rockets, The Associated Press reported.

The army said that a vehicle and other equipment used in the rockets attacks were confiscated and the detainees were referred to judicial authorities. The army said it had carried out raids in different parts of Lebanon to detain the suspects without giving further details.

On Thursday, the state-run National News Agency reported that Gen. Rodolph Haikal briefed a weekly cabinet meeting about the security situation along the border and the ongoing implementation of the UN Security Council resolution that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

Three security and one judicial official told The Associated Press that four Palestinians linked to the Hamas group are being questioned.

A Hamas official told the AP that several members of the group were detained in Lebanon recently and released shortly afterward adding that they were not involved in firing rockets into Israel. He said in one case authorities detained a Hamas member who was carrying an unlicensed pistol.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Hezbollah started launching attacks on Israel a day after the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023 with the Palestinian militants’ attack on southern Israel. The war that left more than 4,000 people dead in Lebanon and caused wide destruction ended in late November with a US-brokered ceasefire.

Since the ceasefire went into effect in late November, Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes that left dozens of civilians and Hezbollah members dead.

On Tuesday, the office of the UN high commissioner for human rights said that at least 71 civilians, including 14 women and nine children, have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since a ceasefire took effect.