By John Ikani
A ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip appears to be holding.
The Egypt-brokered truce followed three days of violence that began Friday with Israeli strikes which killed a top Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander.
Responding to Friday’s strike, Palestinian terrorists fired around 1,100 rockets toward Israeli territory, while the Israel Defense Forces pummeled Islamic Jihad targets and killed another of the Iran-backed organization’s top military leaders in Gaza.
At least 44 Palestinians died in the most serious flare-up since an 11-day conflict in May 2021.
No Israeli casualties have been reported, with the exception of a few people lightly injured from debris on Saturday.
On Monday, Israel announced the gradual rollback of safety precautions, including the reopening of roads near the Gaza border, adding that communities in the so-called “Gaza envelope” area no longer needed to remain near a bomb shelter, and regular train service between the southern cities of Ashkelon and Sderot was due to resume at noon.
The Eshkol Regional Council informed residents of the southern Israeli region, which was battered heavily by rockets from Gaza during Operation Breaking Dawn, of a “full return to routine.”
A statement from the council said limits on gatherings and workplaces will be lifted and that educational activities and agricultural work can resume. It added that public swimming pools can also reopen.
The military said in a later statement that all restrictions on the numbers of participants permitted at gatherings were officially removed.
Also Monday, the military liaison to the Palestinians announced that crossings between Israel and Gaza would reopen for humanitarian purposes after a security assessment.
More about the PIJ
PIJ, which is one of the strongest militant groups operating in Gaza, is backed by Iran and has its headquarters in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
It has been responsible for many attacks, including rocket fire and shootings against Israel.
In November 2019, Israel and PIJ fought a five-day conflict following the killing by Israel of a PIJ commander who Israel said had been planning an imminent attack. The violence left 34 Palestinians dead and 111 injured, while 63 Israelis needed medical treatment.
Israel said 25 of the Palestinians killed were militants, including those hit while preparing to launch rockets.
