PIJ had fired rockets at the country in retaliation for attacks killing of its high-ranking members in the Gaza Strip…reports Asian Lite News
A ceasefire between Israel and the militant organisation Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip came into force at around Sunday midnight, after both sides confirmed they agreed to it.
However, the PIJ said it was insisting on its right “to respond to any Israeli aggression”. Israel also stressed that it “maintains the right to respond strongly” if the ceasefire is violated.
The ceasefire comes after a targeted Israeli military operation that killed several high-ranking PIJ members in the Gaza Strip, including military chief Taisir al-Jabari and Islamic Jihad’s southern commander, Khaled Mansour.
PIJ had fired rockets at the country in retaliation for attacks killing of its high-ranking members in the Gaza Strip.
A high-ranking delegation from Egypt had arrived in Gaza on Sunday evening, to negotiate a potential deal.
Cease fire attempt fails
Israel said militants in the Gaza Strip continued on Sunday night to fire rockets at southern Israel despite a reported Egypt-brokered cease-fire.
Israel’s Home Front Command said in a notice that several rockets were fired at southern Israel “minutes” after 8 p.m. local time, which is the reported time for an Egypt-brokered cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.
The notice said PIJ militants fired barrages of rockets at Tel Aviv and other cities in central Israel.
Rocket sirens were heard in the communities of Kisufim, Ein Ha’shlosha, Nirim and Zikim near the Gaza border and the residents were instructed to stay inside shelters.
In the southern city of Ashkelon, a rocket hit a factory, injuring a Palestinian worker from the West Bank city of Hebron, state-owned Kan TV news reported. Magen David Adom emergency health service said in a statement that the man sustained moderate-to-light injuries.
At least 41 Palestinians, including 11 children and four women, have been killed, and 311 injured since Israel began an offensive on the Gaza Strip on Friday, according to a statement released by the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza on Sunday evening.
Israeli media earlier reported at least eight Israelis were injured by rockets fired by PIJ militants from Gaza into southern Israel.