Home Front Command relaxes restrictions after ceasefire

The Home Front Command relaxed restrictions on southern Israel on Saturday night two hours after a ceasefire between the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Israel reportedly took effect.

According to the new guidelines, gatherings in open areas of more than 10 people and in buildings of more than 100 people will be banned in communities near the Gaza border from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. Additionally, in that time period, only workplaces with a shelter nearby will be able to open and classes will only take place within shelters.

The White House said on Tuesday it was closely following Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip that killed three Palestinian militant leaders, and that it was aware of reports that 10 civilians were "tragically killed" in the strikes.

"We call for all parties to deescalate the situation," a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said.

"Israel has the right to protect itself and defend its people from indiscriminate rocket attacks launched by terrorist groups," it added.

The United Arab Emirates' Foreign Ministry condemned Israeli strikes on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist movement in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, calling on Israeli authorities to "halt escalation and avoid exacerbating tension and instability in the region."

"What happened to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?"

This is a question that many in Israel and around the world -- both common people and political leaders -- asked during the tumultuous first three months of this government's reign as the judicial overhaul issue completely overshadowed everything else.

"What happened to Netanyahu's pledge to have two hands on the wheel?" they asked.

Amid the ongoing conflict, Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich will spend the night in the Gaza border area, Maariv reported.

Israel signaled to Hamas and to countries around the world that it wants to keep Operation Shield and Arrow limited and focused after its launch, though the security cabinet authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to determine whether to escalate the operation, in a meeting on Tuesday evening.

“Last week, when we decided [to launch the operation] we instructed security forces to be read for any scenario, to be ready for an escalation and possibly to fight on more than one front,” Netanyahu said after the cabinet meeting. “No one is immune, even if they hide deep in their terrorist dens.”

Referring to the week between Palestinian Islamic Jihad launching over 100 rockets from Gaza into Israel and the start of Operation Shield and Arrow, Netanyahu quoted from Proverbs: “I understand the desire to hurt those who hurt us, but as they say, ‘wage war with strategies.’” 

Israel killed the Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders “simultaneously in their hideouts before they could execute more terrorist attacks,” Netanyahu said after the cabinet meeting.

The difference between Israel and PIJ is “they want to strike civilians, while we avoid them. We are sorry for all harm to uninvolved civilians, while they celebrate it and give out candy.” 

Following the IDF’s targeted killing of three top Islamic Jihad leaders in the middle of the night between Monday and Tuesday, Israel was still awaiting a potentially massive counter-strike of rockets from Gaza on Tuesday night.

The main questions are: When will Islamic Jihad strike back, will Jihad fire rockets beyond the South and will Hamas join in a serious way for the first time since the May 2021 Gaza conflict?

On one hand, Hamas’ Gaza leadership does not take orders from Iran, has avoided multiple rounds of fighting between Israel and Islamic Jihad over the last two years and IDF intelligence views it as currently preferring stability over war. On the other hand, Hamas cannot afford to appear weak in the eyes of its general public in comparison to Islamic Jihad.

Further, former IDF intelligence chief Tamir Hayman said that Hamas’ leadership outside of Gaza often is more in favor of conflict, for one because it does not put them or their immediate teams in danger.

Israel stands together as siblings in the fight against terror, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday evening following a situational assessment with key security establishment officials earlier in the day.

Israel is doing everything it can to prevent civilian casualties, Netanyahu said.

Also present at the press conference were Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

The US is closely following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza amid Operation Shield and Arrow, a US Embassy spokesperson reportedly said Tuesday.

The spokesperson reiterated that the US commitment to Israel's security remains ironclad. However, it added that "We are also aware of reports that 10 civilians were tragically killed in the Israeli strikes. We call for all parties to de-escalate the situation to protect noncombatants and prevent any further loss of civilian life."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are holding a situational assessment on Tuesday regarding the IDF's ongoing Operation Shield and Arrow against Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.

Netanyahu, Gallant and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar are set to give a statement to Israeli citizens at 8:10 p.m.