Islamic Jihad says it reached a ceasefire with Israel

Rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel.
(Image credit: Anas Baba/AFP/Getty Images)

After two days of fighting, the Islamic Jihad militant group announced early Thursday that it has reached a ceasefire deal with Israel.

The deal was brokered by Egypt and went into effect at 5:30 a.m., Islamic Jihad spokesman Musab al-Berim said. The fighting began Tuesday after an Israeli airstrike targeted the Gaza home of Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata, killing him and his wife. Israel accused Abu al-Ata of being behind several rocket attacks. In the wake of his death, Islamic Jihad fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, and in turn, Israel conducted more airstrikes in Gaza.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.