After Massive IDF Retaliation Following Death Of Soldier, Ceasefire Holds

A tense ceasefire held on the Gaza border Saturday following several waves of Israeli strikes on Hamas targets in the Strip in retaliation for the death of a soldier shot dead by sniper fire.

Staff Sergeant Aviv Levi was killed while on patrol with the Givati Battalion on the southern border of the Gaza Strip Friday afternoon, leading to the largest wave of attacks by Israel since Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

In total, the IDF hit some 60 targets over several hours from Friday afternoon until the early hours of Saturday morning when, according to diplomatic sources, Hamas pushed for a ceasefire via Egyptian mediators.

The IDF said it had struck three Hamas battalion compounds, weapon manufacturing sites, a shaft to a tunnel network, a factory used for underground infrastructure manufacturing, a UAV warehouse, military operations room, training facilities, and observation posts.

Following the incident Friday, in which Staff Sgt. Levi was killed, IDF aircraft and tanks attacked eight Hamas military posts. Hamas responded with rocket fire at the Sha’ar Ha’Negev And Sdot Negev regions; the IDF said the Iron Dome aerial defense system had intercepted two rockets.

While the ceasefire has largely held, on Saturday a number of suspects infiltrated Israel from the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF said the suspects had returned to the Strip and that a tank targeted a Hamas military post in response.