Two Palestinian officials and a TV station belonging to Hamas confirmed that a ceasefire had been reached at 4:30 am (1:30 GMT), apparently stopping the violence from broadening into a conflict which neither side seemed keen on fighting.
"The ceasefire understanding will begin Monday 04:30,” a Palestinian official told Reuters news agency, adding that the agreement was brokered by Egypt and the European Union.
Israeli officials did not comment on whether a truce had been reached, however, according to the Times of Israel, there have been no new rockets fired since the ceasefire. Israeli authorities also decided to keep schools in southern Israel within a 40 kilometre (25 mile) radius of Gaza closed today.
The latest reports of air-raid sirens sounding across southern Israel came from the IDF’s twitter account at one and a half hours before the reported ceasefire.
According to media reports, at least 25 Palestinians and another 125 sustained injuries in some 320 air raids carried out by the IDF against militant targets in the enclave since Saturday, WAFA news reported, citing the Gazan Health Ministry. Four people in Israel died as a result of the attacks, while at least 10 others were injured by shrapnel from rockets, missiles and mortar shells from the Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel reported.
