Israel-Palestinian ceasefire Saturday abroad and tensions at home

There are reports Israel’s cabinet has extended a humanitarian cease-fire for 24 hours but say they’ll respond to any fire from Gaza. 

Earlier today Israel agreed to a four hour extension but it was rejected by Hamas and fighting resumed. 

More than forty victims were found in areas too dangerous to enter in recent days due to the fighting between Hamas and Israel.

Ambulances carried several wounded Palestinians across the border from Gaza into Egypt Saturday to receive medical treatment.

At the same time, a bus of Palestinian refugees was also seen trying to cross the border into Egypt.

Closer to home hundreds of people on both sides clashed at Queen’s Park in Toronto Saturday.

Hundreds of people on both sides were chanting at each other. There was a heavy police presence with fire and EMS on standby.

It was a little quieter up the road at the Israeli consulate. About 40 people were on hand for the last day of a three day vigil condemning Israel’s actions. 

One veteran pro-Palestinian activist Judy Rebick says Israel is using the guilt people feel about the holocaust to justify their actions.

“Never again is not just for Jews….it’s for everyone. So any time there’s a slaughter like this it’s everyone’s responsibility to speak out and that’s what the lesson of the holocaust is.”

Overseas, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry laid out the objectives of a permanent ceasefire today after a foreign ministers meeting in Paris. 

“I understand Israel can’t have a ceasefire in which they are not able to, that somehow the tunnels are never going to be dealt with. The tunnels have to be dealt with I understand that. But by the same token, the Palestinians cant have a ceasefire in which they think the status quo is going to stay and they’re re not going to have the ability to live and breathe freely.”

There are conflicting reports at the time of this post about possible mortar rounds being fired by Hamas which would signify a swift end to the ceasefire.