9:00PM IL: The Islamic Jihad militant group in the Gaza Strip announced a unilateral cease-fire on Monday, calling for a halt after two days of intense fighting with Israel, just a week before the country’s national elections.

Israeli aircraft had pounded dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip throughout the day while Islamic Jihad militants bombarded southern Israel with heavy rocket fire before the cease-fire announcement Monday evening.

In a short statement, the Iranian-backed group’s armed wing said it had completed its “retaliation” for the killing of its three members. But it vowed to respond to any further Israeli “aggression.”

Meanwhile, rockets have been fired into israel despite these announcements.

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7:00PM IL: The IDF has updated the number of rockets fired at Israel in the past 24 hours to 80. They added that 50 of them were today, and 30 were yesterday.

Meanwhile, the IDF has also released footage of an IDF airstrike at a rocket-firing squad in Gaza. The IDF tweeted the video and wrote: “Islamic Jihad indiscriminately fired at Israeli civilians today. We precisely struck a rocket launcher that they used.

6:35PM IL: The IDF says that more than 60 rockets were fired into Israel in the past 24 hours. Thankfully, most have been intercepted by the iron dome, while others have caused minor damage. No serious injuries have been reported.

6:25PM IL: Both PM Netanyahu and Blue & White Chairman Benny Gantz have both cancelled election events scheduled for this evening following the rocket fire in SOuthern Israel.

6:00PM IL: Israeli Air Forces attacked a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) launching platform in the northern Gaza Strip about 5 p.m. in response to the multiple rockets launched into Israel throughout the day on Monday.

An IDF spokesperson stated that the target, from which rockets were launched at Israel, was successfully hit.

4:00PM IL: In the previous two hours, rocket sirens have blared continuously in southern Israel, sending tens of thousands of Israeli residents to bomb shelters. Sirens were heard in Netivot, Sderot and surrounding communities, Ashkelon and nearby communities and the Eshkol Regional Council area communities.

A residential building in the chareidi community of Netivot was damaged as the result of a rocket attack but b’chasdei Hashem, no one was injured. Another rocket fell on the train tracks of the city.

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In Ashkelon, a 55-year-old man was injured as a result of falling while running to a bomb shelter and was evacuated to the hospital in light condition.

PM Netanyahu stands in front of an Iron Dome battery and delivers a stern warning to terrorist in Gaza:

מקורות פלסטיניים מדווחים כי צה"ל שב וירה פגזים לעבר עמדת תצפית בדרום הרצועה. מדווח על הפסקת חשמל ברוב האזור בעקבות התקיפה@kaisos1987 @nurityohanan pic.twitter.com/qtLuYwNAOE

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) February 24, 2020

Earlier on Monday, IDF fighter jets and helicopters attacked terror targets in the Gaza Strip in the afternoon, including a military compound in Khan Younis used for training and storage of weapons and underground infrastructure, the IDF spokesperson stated.

The IDF strikes were a response to the 14 rockets launched into Israel at about noon. The PIJ terror group claimed responsibility for the rockets.

[STERN WARNING TO GAZA TERROR: Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I’m Talking About War”]

Twelve of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome, the IDF spokesperson stated.

תיעוד בכלי תקשורת פלסטיניים: תקיפות צה"ל ברצועת עזה@nurityohanan pic.twitter.com/6cCAWKvFxA

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) February 24, 2020

Shortly after the IDF launched the airstrikes in Gaza, another rocket was launched toward Ashkelon and thousands of residents ran to the closest bomb shelter. There were no reports of injuries or damage and the rocket reportedly landed in the sea.

One of the rockets fired from Gaza a short while ago landed in the sea pic.twitter.com/DiuchRHqbD

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) February 24, 2020

Red alert sirens were heard in Sderot and in a number of yishuvim in the Negev regional council at about noon, at 12:30 p.m. and 12:42 p.m.

Residents reported hearing the sound of explosions following the sirens, mostly likely as a result of rocket interceptions by the Iron Dome. MDA paramedics provided treatment to civilians suffering from shock but no physical injuries occurred.

Police sappers were summoned to several areas in Sderot where rocket shrapnel was discovered, including a playground. A rocket part fell next to a health clinic in Sderot.

הירי לדרום | תיעוד: נפילה של חלקי קאסם מתחת לסניף של קופת חולים לאומית בשדרות
(צילום: לאומית שירותי בריאות)@diklaaharon pic.twitter.com/A1DqKt8UYK

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) February 24, 2020

Egypt, which is holding negotiations with PIJ leaders to prevent a further escalation of conflict between Israel and Gaza reportedly instructed PIJ not to react to Israel’s likely response to the latest barrage of rockets, a Channel 13 News report said.

Earlier on Monday morning, the IDF announced closures of Gaza border area roads and schools on Monday morning following threats of retaliation from Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) over the death of two of its members from Israeli airstrikes in Syria in response to a barrage of rockets launched on Israel from the Gaza Strip by the PIJ on Sunday night.

Media reports on Monday morning said that the death toll from the Israeli strikes in Syria rose to six from the two reported on Sunday night.

The IDF stated that roads and schools in communities closest to the Gaza border, including the cities of Sderot, Ashkelon and Netivot will be closed. About 55,000 students remained at home on Monday according to the Education Ministry.

The train line between Ashkelon and Beer Sheva was closed as well as train stations in Netivot, Sderot and Ofakim.

Residents of Gaza border cities were instructed to remain at home if their workplaces lacked a nearby bomb shelter and to refrain from large outdoor gatherings.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Naftali Bennetא held a situation assessment meeting at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv on Sunday night with the participation of the  IDF Chief of Staff, the head of Shin Bet, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories and senior security officials.

ראש הממשלה @netanyahu ושר הביטחון @naftalibennet קיימו הערכת מצב בקריה שבתל אביב בהשתתפות הרמטכ"ל, ראש השב"כ, ראש המל"ל, מתאם הפעולות בשטחים ובכירי מערכת הביטחון

(צילום: אריאל חרמוני / משרד הביטחון) pic.twitter.com/9COiwH6CHn

— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) February 23, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)