Palestinian Islamic Jihad violated the ceasefire just minutes after it went into effect, but Israel refrained from responding.
Since “Operation Breaking Dawn” began, more than 1,000 projectiles have been fired at the Jewish State from Gaza, with 97% intercepted and more than 120 landing within Gaza, according to the IDF.
By JNS
Israel has gradually begun lifting security restrictions on southern Israel and on the Gaza-Israel border crossings as a ceasefire with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad continued to hold on Monday morning.
Residents of Israeli communities located close to Gaza no longer have to remain close to bomb shelters, and normal train traffic between Sderot and Ashkelon was set to resume from noon, Israeli security authorities announced.
The crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip were open for humanitarian purposes at 9 a.m.
“The full return to … routine will be possible following further assessments of the situation and provided that the security situation in the area is quiet,” said a statement by the Israeli military’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.
At 11:50 p.m., just 20 minutes after the truce went into effect following three days of fighting between Israel and the Gaza-based terror group, PIJ launched a wave of rocket attacks on Gaza-border communities. The last Israeli Air Force strikes on targets in Gaza occurred at 11:25 p.m., five minutes before the start of the ceasefire, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit stated. Biden praises and calls for investigation into civilian casualties
The deal, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, was praised by U.S. President Joe Biden
In a statement, Biden affirmed his support for Israel’s right to self-defense and praised the Iron Dome missile defense system.
“My support for Israel’s security is long-standing and unwavering—including its right to defend itself against attacks,” the statement said. “[T]he United States is proud of our support for Israel’s Iron Dome, which intercepted hundreds of rockets and saved countless lives.”
Biden also expressed his concern about civilian casualties in Gaza from Israeli airstrikes and PIJ rockets falling within Gaza and called for an investigation into such reports.
“The reports of civilian casualties in Gaza are a tragedy, whether by Israeli strikes against Islamic Jihad positions or the dozens of Islamic Jihad rockets that reportedly fell inside Gaza,” said Biden. “My administration supports a timely and thorough investigation into all of these reports.”
“Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” he added. “My Administration will remain engaged with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to support that vision and to implement the initiatives launched during my visit to improve the quality of life for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
Biden also commended Prime Minister Yair Lapid and his government for their “steady leadership throughout the crisis.”
Before implementing the ceasefire, Lapid’s office stressed that if it’s violated, “Israel maintains the right to respond strongly. We will not allow any disruption to the lives of the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Since “Operation Breaking Dawn” began, more than 1,000 projectiles have been fired at the Jewish State from Gaza, with 97% intercepted and more than 120 landing within Gaza, according to the IDF.
Senior Islamic Jihad commander was targeted to prevent imminent attack
Khaled Mansour was responsible for dozens of attacks on Israeli forces and civilians
(The Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Saturday night was targeted because he was in the process of staging an attack on Israeli forces and civilians, according to Israel Defense Force sources.
PIJ Southern Gaza Division commander Khaled Mansour was responsible for dozens of terror attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel.
His operational history includes dozens of shooting and anti-tank missile attacks over the years, including the 2010 shooting on the Gazan border that killed IDF Maj. Eliraz Peretz, whose grenade detonated upon being struck by a bullet.
The terror group’s Northern Gaza Division commander, Tayseer Jaabari, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on Friday.
Addressing the death on Saturday of four children in Jabalya in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli officials said that the cause was a misfired PIJ rocket. The rocket was launched at 6:51 p.m. local time, according to the IDF, and was detected by the military’s ballistic missile defense center.
“It shows the cynicism of our adversary, which is working from civilian areas,” said the source.
PIJ is experiencing an average of 20% misfired rockets—an improvement from its previous 30%—according to the military.