After three days of intense fighting between Israel and Hamas that claimed the lives of four Israelis, a cease-fire between the sides was reached early Monday morning.
Speaking just before noon on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that latest round of escalation had ended but warned that "this is not the end; this battle requires stamina and levelheadedness, and we are preparing for more fighting."
Netanyahu stressed that "our goal has always been to ensure calm and security for the residents of the south," noting that Israel hit more than 350 targets during the three days of fighting.
During the three days of fighting more than a dozen terrorists were killed, as well as several civilians, according to Palestinian media.
Earlier on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces announced that Israeli civilians can resume their normal daily routine and that schools would operate as usual as the special emergency precautions were no longer necessary. The IDF also announced that the roads that had been closed near the Gaza Strip have been opened.
The announcement came several hours after Palestinian media claimed a truce had been reached following international mediation efforts.
The latest round of fighting erupted three days ago, peaking on Sunday when rockets and missiles from Gaza killed four civilians in Israel.
Two Palestinian officials and a TV station belonging to Hamas said on Monday morning that a ceasefire had been reached and that it would take effect at 4:30 a.m. (1:30 GMT), apparently stopping the violence from broadening into a conflict which neither side seemed keen on fighting.
The IDF said that more than 600 rockets and other projectiles, of which 150 were intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system, had been fired at southern Israeli cities and communities since Friday. It said it attacked about 320 targets belonging to Gaza terrorist groups.
But the violence, the most serious border clashes since a spate of fighting in November, appeared to abate early on Monday.
Rocket sirens in southern Israel, which had gone off continuously over the weekend, sending residents running for cover, were quiet for a few hours straight before dawn.
Egypt and the United Nations, which have served as brokers in the past, were apparently involved in the mediation efforts.
The violence began two days ago when a sniper from the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired at Israeli troops, wounding two soldiers, according to the Israeli military.
PIJ accused Israel of delaying implementation of previous understandings brokered by Egypt.
This time, Israeli strategic affairs analysts said, both Islamic Jihad and Hamas terrorists appeared to believe they had some leverage to press for concessions from Israel because Independence Day celebrations begin on Wednesday.
Hours before the cease-fire was announced, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States fully supported Israel's response to a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza and called for an end to the Palestinian attacks, warning Gazans such actions would bring them "nothing but more misery."
"Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens.... To the Gazan people — these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen!" Trump said in a message on Twitter.
