Nonet Ministers discussed ceasefire: "We will not stop now' • rockets fired at Ofakim

Who said cease-fire? Near midnight (Monday) missiles were fired at Ofakim, the Eshkol Regional Council and Beer Sheva. All that while there was talk about relaxation. The rockets landed in open areas. There were no casualties or damage.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu convened the Nonet ministers forum tonight for a discussion of the continued Operation Pillar of Cloud in the Gaza Strip, and efforts to achieve a cease-fire brokered by Egypt.

Israel refuses to disclose details of the talks, and emphasizes that the IDF continues to prepare for a ground operation. "Discussions with the Egyptians continue, but the military option is still very strong on the table. We will not stop now," said a senior government official tonight.

However, so far, the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have decided to give a chance to the Egyptian mediation efforts, and avoid a ground entry into the Strip - opposed by the U.S. and other countries in the international community. Meanwhile, reservists mobilized on Saturday or immediately after, are being released back home.

• Amud Anan: special channel • reports, pictures and video

The television network Al - Arabiya, reported today (Monday) afternoon that an agreement was reached between Israelis and Palestinians on a cease-fire, and that the only remaining dispute between the parties is about the stages of its application. According to Khaled Mishaal, head of Hamas' political bureau, who convened a press conference in Cairo, the launching of rockets caught Israel "unprepared", and so it failed to achieve its goals in Operation Amud Anan. He added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is begging" to apply a cease-fire, but his words suggest that Hamas would not lock its weapons first. "The one who started the war must end it."

Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem, however, strongly rejected the words of Mashaal. "He is looking for a rope to get down from the tree. Hamas is absorbing at this hour blows and severe damage to its ability to fire at Israel," said a senior Israeli official, who vociferously rejected Mashaal's statement that Israel is begging for a ceasefire. "These remarks are correct just as much as Hamas's statements regarding an inception to an Israeli F-16 or harm to a shipping vessel."


Missile directly hit the building of a school in Ashkelon

But while discussions take place in Cairo to lead a ceasefire, the South continues to burn: Rockets to the cities and towns continues, alarms cut through the air.

• After a relatively quiet night, residents of the south received in the morning, around 6:30, a wake up call to reality: The quiet was broken by sirens in Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, and later in Eshkol Regional Council. In Sha'ar Hanegev a rocket fell in an open area. In Eshkol Regional Council slightly afterwards, six more missiles fell, also in open areas - no damage or injuries were reported.

• After 10:30am Grad rockets were fired at Ashkelon. One missile directly hit the building of a school in the city, but by with the grace of Heaven there were no injuries, due to the cancellation of studies all over the South. Ashkelon also got two direct hits on buildings in the afternoon – which ended, by the grace of God, without casualties.

• At approximately 18:37 a rocket fell for the second time on the roof of another high school in Ashkelon, not far from the high school which was hit by a rocket in the morning. The rocket hit the roof of the building, but did not explode, and police sappers took care of the rocket. Two rockets were intercepted over the city by Iron Dome. According to eyewitnesses, an additional Iron Dome rocket missed the rocket which hit the school.

• Alarms were constantly heard this afternoon in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beer Sheva, Ofakim and other places. Rockets were intercepted over Gan Yavne, Ashdod, Beer Sheva and Ashkelon. A rocket hit Sderot too, with no casualties.

Watch: assault of launcher which killed three Jews hy"d in Kiryat Malachi

• A rocket exploded in the evening in a chicken coop of a settlement in Sha'ar Hanegev, causing damage to property and birds. There were no other casualties.

• At 21:57 five rockets were fired at Be'er Sheva. They landed in open areas. There were no casualties.

• Toward noon the IDF performed a takeover of the radio station in the Gaza Strip, and called the residents to stay away from areas of fire and terrorist organizations.

• IDF forces shot a Palestinian throwing a petrol bomb, near the neighborhood of Beit Hadassah in Hebron., He was treated by the Red Crescent Society, and according to Palestinians he died. There are clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces at the place.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!