Ceasefire between Israel and Gaza militants holds despite rocket launch and reported strike.

A cease-fire between Israel and Gaza militants appears to be holding after five days of fighting that killed 33 Palestinians and two Israelis. The agreement did not address the underlying issues that have fueled numerous rounds of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip over the years. The more powerful Hamas has praised Islamic Jihad’s strikes but remained on the sidelines during the latest round of fighting, limiting the scope of the conflict. Saturday’s deal did not address many of the causes of the repeated fighting, including Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza, the large arsenals of weapons possessed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem.