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Itongadol.- After a quiet night between the borders, which saw no rockets fired into Israel and no IDF fire in Gaza, it appears as though the tensions built during the 21 days of Operation Protective Edge are beginning to dissipate.
The Cabinet held a special session on Monday morning to discuss the continuation of the operation and whether to end or expand the offensive.
Only one rocket landed in Ashkelon on Monday morning and the IDF returned fire at its source, proving what seemed to be the latest policy; defending Israel when necessary, but otherwise, holding fire.
Later on Monday morning the IDF again attacked the site from which the rocket came.
The new policy of holding fire from ground and air in Gaza does not apply to the tunnels built by Hamas terrorists, however. Forces are still working to destroy them, the IDF says.
Army Radio reported that overnight Sunday, the IDF destroyed two tunnels. The report also quotes sources as saying the current situation is an "unlimited cease-fire," in which Israel will only hit targets when provoked.
IDF spokesperson Moti Almoz told Army Radio on Monday morning that the "unlimited cease-fire means that we are prepared for the continuation of actions but are currently focused on the tunnels, and there are a few more that we need to work on."
On Sunday night, US President Barack Obama told Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu in a phone call that an immediate and unconditional ceasefire ending Israel\’s assault on Hamas is a "clear strategic imperative" to Israel.
While the conversation between the leaders focused on the immediate concerns of the United States, the president also discussed the broader implications of Israel\’s operation in Gaza, Protective Edge, now over two weeks old and burdened with a mounting death toll, both within the Israel Defense Forces and the civilian population of Gaza.