Prime Minister Yair Lapid told the heads of the local authorities in the Gaza Envelope on Sunday evening that all of the goals of Operation Breaking Dawn have been achieved, and “there is no point in continuing the operation.”
But while Lapid was explaining the reason for agreeing to a ceasefire, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organization that was targeted in the operation continued to ceaselessly fire rockets at those very same communities, belying the prime minister’s words.
A ceasefire agreement reportedly set to take place at 8 pm local time, was denied by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organizations. Israeli officials emphasized that civilians should not under any circumstances rely on the possibility of a ceasefire, and should instead remain either near or inside their bomb shelters until further notice.
As of 10:15 pm Sunday night, the Magen David Adom emergency medical response service said its medics treated and conveyed to hospital 47 patients, including 3 injured by shrapnel, 31 injured while running to secure locations, and 13 with stress symptoms including a 74 year old female who was sedated and ventilated, and conveyed to Asuta Hospital in Ashdod.
MDA treated several more patients with minor injuries who were injured making their way to secure rooms and did not require to be conveyed to hospital, and several patients with stress symptoms who were treated on scene, the spokesperson said.
PIJ terrorists continued to fire heavy barrages of rocket fire at Gaza Envelope communities, including the city of Sderot and at the coastal city of Ashkelon.
Non-stop rocket barrages continued close to the reported ceasefire deadline, with Gaza terrorists targeting Rishon Lezion, Ramle and Netivot in addition to Ashkelon and the Gaza Envelope communities. Rockets were also fired at Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Holon, Ramat Gan, Givatayim and at Ben Gurion International Airport; all were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system, Israel’s Channel 12 reported.
The Iron Dome aerial defense system successfully intercepted at least six rockets over communities along the Gaza border.
One man in the Sdot HaNegev Regional Council district sustained minor shrapnel wounds from a Gaza rocket that landed in the courtyard of a foreign workers’ residence, where he lived, according to police who said medics on the scene treated the victim.
In Ashkelon, a man was injured and a factory was seriously damaged by a rocket that landed in the city’s industrial area. The 39-year-old worker was moderately wounded by shrapnel that landed on him from the rocket attack. He was taken to the city’s Barzilai Medical Center for treatment.
Local Gaza sources reported that at least four people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a car traveling in the northern part of the enclave. No further details were available.
Consistent with concerns voiced by Israeli officials throughout the day, “The humanitarian conditions [in Gaza] are deteriorating and since the power station stopped yesterday, people are living with only four hours of power,” Aljazeera’s Safwat al-Kahout reported from Gaza.
Israeli officials have expressed concern that unless it becomes possible to deliver fuel via Israel to the power station — which requires a ceasefire — the deterioration of humanitarian conditions could prompt Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization to enter the conflict, despite the group’s clear disinclination to do so.
