72-hour ceasefire in Gaza continues to hold

A three-day truce between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continues to hold.

The Palestinian death toll from 29 days of Israeli strikes has reached about 1,900; at least 9,500 Palestinians have been injured in the onslaught, which began on July 8.

The Israeli military says 64 soldiers have been killed in the conflict, but Hamas puts the fatalities at more than 150.

On Tuesday, Ismail Haniyeh, a senior leader of resistance movement Hamas, said Palestinians are the victorious side of the Israeli war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Haim Yelin, the head of Israel’s Eshkol District Council, said on Monday that some 75 percent of Israeli settlers near the Gaza Strip have left their homes in fear of retaliatory Palestinian rocket attacks.

It is estimated that some 125,000 settlers, almost half of the 250,000 Israelis inhabiting 57 communities, refuse to return home since they believe that the Israeli military has failed to provide their security.