The Times of Israel is liveblogging Monday’s events as they unfold.
IDF begins to lift restrictions on communities close to Gaza, reopens roads
After the ceasefire held overnight, the Israel Defense Forces says in a statement that it will begin to lift restrictions imposed on residents of the Gaza border area.
All the roads in the region that have been shut for a number of days will be reopened, the IDF says in a statement. The roads had been shut since last Tuesday amid fears of attack ahead of the latest round of fighting.
In addition, residents of border communities are no longer required to stay in close proximity to a protected area.
Trains will be restarted between Sderot and Ashkelon at noon.
IDF says 26 civilians killed in Gaza fighting, 15 by terror group’s rocket misfires
In a briefing to reporters, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson says a total of 35 people were killed in Gaza during the most recent round of fighting.
According to the military, 15 people people uninvolved in the hostilities were killed by Gazan rockets which fell short.
A further 11 people were killed who were not affiliated with terror groups, meaning that a total of 26 Gazan civilians — including a number of children — were killed in the fighting.
The figures imply that the military believes it killed nine terrorists.
“More Palestinians were killed by the failed firing by Islamic Jihad than by the firing of the IDF,” spokesman Ran Kochav says.
Kochav says “lessons will be learnt” in the wake of the killing of the 11 people not directly involved in the fighting.
The military also says approximately 1,000 rockets were fired toward Israel by terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Approximately 200 rockets fell short of their targets and landed in the Gaza Strip, the military says.
The Iron Dome missile defense system had a 96 percent success rate, the IDF says.
The IDF says it carried out strikes on approximately 170 targets linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including senior officials and activists of the terror group.
IDF says most military aims achieved in Gaza, ‘gradual return to routine required’
The Israel Defense Forces says that most of the military aims during Operation Breaking Dawn were achieved.
In a briefing to reporters, a spokesperson says that a “careful and gradual policy of returning to normal routine is required.”
Despite the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad holding for the entire night, many restrictions still remain in place for those living in communities closest to the border with Gaza.
This means educational facilities in towns near the Gaza Strip will remain closed, gatherings will be largely banned and residents will still need to remain close to bomb shelters.
Slightly looser restrictions are in place for the rest of the northern Negev and part of the Lachish region.
UN’s Mideast envoy welcomes Gaza ceasefire, mourns loss of life and injuries
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, which has gone into effect after over three days of fighting.
“I welcome the ceasefire in Gaza and Israel after days of conflict. Deeply saddened by the loss of life & injuries, including children,” Wennesland tweets.
“I commend Egypt for its crucial role in establishing the ceasefire and for the strong support from Qatar, US & others,” he says.
“The situation is still very fragile, and I urge all parties to observe the ceasefire.”
PIJ leader: We’ll resume fighting if Israel doesn’t ‘stick to what we agreed upon’
Ziad Nakhaleh, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, says that its members dealt with Israel’s “aggression” with “steadfastness,” adding that he “salutes the Palestinian nation.”
In a statement, Nakhaleh also warns that “if the enemy doesn’t stick to what we agreed upon via the Egyptian mediator, we will resume fighting.”
IDF to reassess safety restrictions on Gaza-area residents
The IDF is due in the coming hours to reassess the necessity of special safety instructions currently in place for residents of areas near the Gaza Strip.
Despite the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad holding for the entire night, the restrictions still remain in place. This means educational facilities in towns near the Gaza Strip will remain closed, gatherings will be largely banned and residents will still need to remain close to bomb shelters.
Slightly looser restrictions are in place for the rest of the northern Negev and part of the Lachish region.
Officially, the restrictions are valid until 6 p.m. Monday, but they could be canceled earlier.
Biden welcomes Gaza ceasefire, says US proud to back life-saving Iron Dome
US President Joe Biden welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, which has gone into effect after over three days of fighting.
Biden says the US has been in contact with officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan in order to bring a swift end to the fighting, and he thanks Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi along with Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani for their central roles in the effort.
The president also commends Prime Minister Yair Lapid and his government’s “steady leadership throughout the crisis.”
As the White House did on the first day of the conflict, Biden expresses his support for Israel’s right to defend itself against “indiscriminate” PIJ rocket fire and adds that the US “is proud of our support for Israel’s Iron-Dome, which intercepted hundreds of rockets and saved countless lives.” Earlier this year, the US approved an additional $500 million in funding for Iron Dome replenishments following the May 2021 Gaza conflict.
Biden laments the civilians whose lives were cut short by the conflict, “whether by Israeli strikes against Islamic Jihad positions or the dozens of Islamic Jihad rockets that reportedly fell inside Gaza.”
He says his administration supports “timely and thorough investigation[s]” into those deaths.
“We also call on all parties to fully implement the ceasefire, and to ensure fuel and humanitarian supplies are flowing into Gaza as the fighting subsides,” the president says.
As has been the case in just about every Biden administration statement regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Biden closes by asserting that “Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy.”
“My Administration will remain engaged with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to support that vision and to implement the initiatives launched during my [recent] visit to improve the quality of life for Palestinians and Israelis alike,” he adds, apparently referring to the package of steps announced last month aimed at improving Palestinian livelihood, but which have yet to be implemented and require Israeli follow-through.
Gaza-area regional council won’t resume education activities, despite truce
The Sdot Negev Regional Council announces that after a security assessment and despite a ceasefire taking effect, communities in the Gaza-area region won’t resume educational activities tomorrow.
This means there won’t be shuttles to special education institutions, daycares won’t be opened, and summer camp activities won’t be held.
PA leader Abbas welcomes ceasefire between Israel and Islamic Jihad
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas praises the ceasefire reached between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, ending more than three days of fighting.
“We welcome the Egyptian efforts that led to the halting of the occupation’s aggression in Gaza,” Abbas says.