The Israeli army says it has lifted protective restrictions on residents in southern Israel, signalling a ceasefire deal with Palestinian militants in Gaza to end the bloodiest fighting between the sides since a 2014 war.
In another sign of quiet, Hamas’ Al Aqsa radio station also is reporting a ceasefire deal, though there is still no official announcement from the Islamic militant group that rules the coastal strip.
In fighting since the weekend, Palestinian militants have bombarded Israel with hundreds of rockets, while Israel carried out several hundred air strikes on militant targets in Gaza.
Palestinian medical officials have reported 23 deaths, including at least nine militants as well as two pregnant women and two babies. Four Israelis also were killed from incoming fire.
The latest round of fighting erupted three days ago, peaking on Sunday (local time) when rockets and missiles from Gaza killed four civilians in Israel, and Israeli strikes killed 19 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians.
On Monday, two Palestinian officials and a TV station belonging to Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas were the first to report a ceasefire, apparently stopping the violence from broadening into a conflict that neither side seemed keen on fighting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier he had ordered the military to continue “massive strikes” against Gaza’s ruling Hamas group and Islamic Jihad in the most serious border clashes since a spate of fighting in November.
Read the article in The New Daily.