Ceasefire agreed between Israel and PIJ holds

White House welcomes the truce and joins Israeli officials in thanking Egyptian president for mediation efforts; security measures remain in place only in border area communities and Ashkelon
After a quiet night with no rocket fire from Gaza, the truce announced between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad remained in place on Sunday.
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סוללת כיפת ברזל בדרום הארץ
סוללת כיפת ברזל בדרום הארץ
An Iron Dome battery outside Ashdod
(Photo: Shaul Golan)
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Security measures remain in place in the Gaza border communities and in the southern city of Ashkelon but were lifted off other communities at a distance of 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the border and the crossings into the Strip will open to allow supplies in.
The last siren was heard in the Gaza border area on Saturday over an hour after the announced troop came into effect, following the identification of two launches from the Gaza Strip. The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted one of them, while the other exploded in an open area. Shortly before midnight, the IDF began to attack Islamic Jihad targets in response.
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שיגורים מרצועת עזה לכיוון ישראל
שיגורים מרצועת עזה לכיוון ישראל
Rockets launched from Gaza as truce comes into effect on Saturday
( Photo: AFP )
"In light of the agreement of the Palestinian and the Israeli side, Egypt announces a ceasefire between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides has been reached," a text of the agreement seen by Reuters read.
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מנהיג הג'יהאד האיסלאמי זיאד נחאלה בנאום לאחר הפסקת האש
מנהיג הג'יהאד האיסלאמי זיאד נחאלה בנאום לאחר הפסקת האש
Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah
National Security Council head Tzahi Hanegbi thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi for his help in bringing about an end to the fighting.
"The two sides will abide by the ceasefire which will include an end to targeting civilians, house demolition, an end to targeting individuals immediately when the ceasefire goes into effect," it said.
In a statement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late on Saturday, "Quiet will be met with quiet and if Israel will be attacked or threatened, it shall continue to do what it must in order to defend itself," the statement said.
Islamic Jihad also confirmed the agreement. "We declare our acceptance of the Egyptian announcement and we will abide by it as long as the occupation (Israel) abides by it," the group's spokesman, Dawoud Shehab, said.
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דוברת הבית הלבן קארין ז'אן פייר
דוברת הבית הלבן קארין ז'אן פייר
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
(Photo: EPA)
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre welcomed the ceasefire on Saturday night, joining the Israeli government in acknowledging Sisi's and Egypt's mediation efforts, and thanking Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Even as the truce was being finalized, the two sides kept up firing, with air raid sirens sounding as far as Tel Aviv's suburbs as the military announced it had hit Islamic Jihad targets in response to rocket fire.
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אינגה אברימיאן
אינגה אברימיאן
Inga Avramyan killed on Thursday when a rocket hit her home
nearly 1500 rockets were launched at Israeli communities and 422 strikes were attacked by the IDF since the fighting began last Tuesday. Two people were killed by rocket fire in Israel and six commanders of the PIJ died in targeted killings. In total, 33 people were killed in Gaza, including at least 13 civilians.
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תושבי עזה חוגגים לאחר הפסקת האש
תושבי עזה חוגגים לאחר הפסקת האש
Gazan's celebrate truce on Saturday
Though happy about the news of the truce, some Gaza residents, weary of repeated flare-ups, feared that another round of fighting would erupt before long. "We want the truce to be based on principles, not like in the past when after a calm (truce) people died," said resident Munir Marouf, 43.
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