CRI听力:Israel and Hamas Begin Third Ceasefire

Shortly after the ceasefire was announced, Israel launched air strikes in response to rocket fire from Gaza. [Photo: baidu]

Israel and Hamas have begun a new five-day ceasefire for Gaza, agreed to at the end of an earlier three-day truce.

However, shortly after the ceasefire was announced, Israel launched air strikes in response to rocket fire from Gaza.

Gazan health officials say no injuries have been reported in the latest airstrikes.

Israel and Hamas agreed late Wednesday to extend a three-day cease-fire by another five days, the third temporary cease-fire agreed to in the past two weeks.

Israeli and Palestinian delegates have been conducting indirect talks in Cairo through Egyptian mediators in an attempt to try to reach a permanent agreement to end the month-long conflict.

The Israelis launched a military operation in Gaza in early July to stop militant attacks from Gaza.

The conflict has left close to 2-thousand Palestinians dead, with 10-thousand more injured.

Israel has lost 64-soldiers and three civilians.

For an in-depth look into conflict in Gaza, CRI's Yin Xiuqi has more. 

The deadly Gaza conflict has been underway for over a month, with only 2 previous breaks in the fighting under shaky ceasefires.

Given the animosity between both sides, there are a lot of questions about how much effect this current five-day ceasefire will have.

Ye Hailin, an international relations expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says the current ceasefire is likely to make a difference.

"The current ceasefire, I think, is bringing hope to the people. It may pave the way for a longer-term truce reached between the two sides. You know both the Palestinians and Israel have been worn out during the month-long conflict."

Ye Hailin also suggests the battle on the ground has shown Israel cannot fulfil its stated aim of destroying Hamas's military capability.

As such, he contends there is little reason for Israel to continue the offensive.

When it comes to the negotiations, both sides have been communicating their demands through Egyptian mediators in Cairo.

The Palestinians want the blockade on Gaza to be lifted, while Israel wants the territory to be fully disarmed.

It's being reported Israel may be considering relaxing parts of the blockade.

However, Ye Hailing suggests Egypt can no longer hold sway over the Gaza situation, thus casting a cloud on the prospect of reaching a durable ceasefire.

"In 2012 when Israel launched attacks on Gaza, Egypt only spent eight days mediating and bringing an end to the crisis. Now there has been no final ceasefire after all these days. So Egypt, due to its domestic political changes, has become a weaker mediating force than it was before."

Egypt has a long history of acting as peace-maker between Israel and Hamas.

Egyptian leaders helped negotiate a long-term truce between the two sides in late 2012, during the tenure of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Hamas has close ties with Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, a former political organization the current Egyptian government has banned as a terrorist group.

The current tensions in Gaza erupted after the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers in June.

Israel continues to blame Hamas for the murders, though Hamas has denied any involvement.

For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi.