A tense quiet settled over southern Israel Monday morning after another ceasefire between the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups and Israel came into effect.
The IDF announced that all limitations and precautions following the hostilities have been removed, and life can go back to normal. Schools opened at most locations in the south.
Israel and Hamas have reportedly resumed talks on a long-term ceasefire, and Hamas will receive millions in funds from Qatar and an ease on other terror-related restrictions Israel has placed on Gaza.
The supposed end of the hostilities comes after an extremely violent 60 hours of warfare, in which the Gaza-based terror groups fired close to 700 rockets at Israeli cities and towns, killing four Israelis and wounding dozens of others, some still in serious condition.
The victims are Moshe Agadi, 58 and a father of four, Ziad al-Hamamda, 47 and a father of seven, Moshe Feder, 68, and Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman, 21 and a father of a baby.
The Iron Dome defense systems intercepted some 240 rockets on their way to Israeli to civilian targets. While the system had a 90 percent success rate, buildings took direct hits from rockets.
In response to the attacks, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried some 350 strikes against terror groups, killing some 20 terrorists and hitting strategic terror targets.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far remained silent on the latest developments. Just hours before the ceasefire came into effect he met with a delegation of US ambassadors in Europe led by US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. He updated the delegation on the security situation, and said that Israel had the right to defend itself, adding that it would “take all necessary measures to ensure this.”
This was the 11th such round of attacks-retaliations between Israel and the Gazan terror groups in the last year.
Alya and Tommy Shapiro were planning to celebrate Liam’s fourth birthday in Ashdod on Saturday when their plans were violently disturbed by barrages of rockets launched by terrorists from Gaza.
They understood that celebrating in Ashdod was no longer an option, so they decided to move further north with the hope of finding peace there.
Liam was subsequently sent to Jerusalem, while Tommy, Alya and the twin toddlers Eliana and Arian returned home to Ashdod. As they were entering the city they came under a massive barrage of rocket fire and saw the explosions in the sky caused by the Iron Dome’s interceptions of the incoming rockets. The babies were shocked.
Tommy, 39 and a lawyer, initially thought the violence would end shortly, like in previous such incidents, but he soon learned that this time was different. The intensity, volume and insistent fire were nothing he had previously experienced.
Seeking shelter, he entered the secured-room in his apartment and did not leave until the fire ceased over 24 hours later. Alya, a nurse, was required at the hospital, so he spent the next day playing with the two babies and calming them as much as possible.
(TPS)
