Senior Islamic Jihad officials said Sunday morning that Israel and Palestinian factions are likely to agree to a cease-fire in Gaza in a matter of hours. By early afternoon, however, a senior Hamas official denied that progress toward a cease-fire had been made.

On Sunday, a mother and her four children were killed in an air strike, marking the 89th Gazan family to be wiped out in Operation Protective Edge, Gazan officials said Sunday, as the Air Force continued its escalation in the face of another day of 100-plus rocket and mortar shell attacks from Gaza on Israeli border communities.

Ahead of a cabinet meeting at the Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation in Gaza would continue until its goals were reached. “I call on the inhabitants of Gaza to vacate immediately every site from which Hamas is carrying out terrorist activity. Every one of these places is a target for us,” he said.

The ramping up of Israeli air attacks came alongside Hamas’ concentrated assaults on the Gazan border communities.

On Sunday, four-year-old Daniel Tragerman, killed by a mortar shell on Friday in his Kibbutz Nahal Oz home, was laid to rest. Tragerman was the fourth Israeli civilian killed in the war; 64 soldiers have been killed. The Palestinian death toll during Operation Protective Edge is currently at 2,120, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

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For Sunday's live updates, click here

Latest updates Monday:

11:27 P.M. Security sources in Lebanon told the Daily Star that the IDF fired dozens of rounds of artillery in response to the rocket. The artillery landed near Jarmaq on the Litani River. The Lebanese army has raised its alert in the area. (Jack Khoury)

11:10 P.M. More than 120 rockets and mortars have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel so far on Monday, according to the IDF. Ninety-nine targeted the Israeli communities along the Gaza border. 102 of the rockets and mortars landed in Israel, four of them in built-up areas. The Iron Dome system intercepted 16 rockets. The Israel Air Force attacked some 60 targets in Gaza on Monday. (Gili Cohen)

11:02 P.M. Three children have been lightly injured by stones thrown at an Israeli car in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Wadi Joz. They were taken for treatment. Border Police captured one of the masked assailants, who admitted to being involved in the incident, according to police.



There have also been clashes between police and Palestinians youths in Silwan and Shoefat, according to Palestinian sources. Operations of the light railway in Shoefat have been suspended after three incidents, including one in which a molotov cocktail was thrown. (Nir Hasson)



10:53 P.M. IDF is returning fire to Lebanon is response to two rockets that landed in Kiryat Shmona. According to the IDF, forces are firing artillery shells at the source of the launch. (Gili Cohen)

10:33 P.M. IDF confirms that a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in the upper Galilee. The possibility of other rockets having been fired is being investigated. Residents of the Upper Galilee have been told to stay close to secure zones, but have not received other instructions from the Home Front Command.(Gili Cohen)

10:14 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in northern Israel in communities near the Lebanon border. (Haaretz)

9:11 P.M. Two rockets intercepted over Ashdod, one falls in an open area nearby. (Shirly Seidler)

Smoke and sand are seen following what witnesses said was an Israeli air strike in Gaza August 25, 2014. Photo by Reuters

9:02 P.M. Rocket sirens sound across central Israel, just south of Tel Aviv, as well as Ashdod, Gan Yavne and Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. (Haaretz)

8:53 P.M. Firebomb thrown at Jerusalem light rail in Shoafat area of East Jerusalem, damaging the train. (Nir Hasson)

8:35 P.M. More than 115 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel so far on Monday, 90 of them at communities near Gaza border. (Gili Cohen)

8:28 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Eshkol Regional Council and Sdot Negev Regional Council. (Shirly Seidler)

8:22 P.M. Three mortar shells land in open areas in Eshkol Regional Council. (Shirly Seidler)

8:10 P.M. Rocket intercepted over Kiryat Ono, east of Tel Aviv. (Haaretz)

8:08 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Eshkol Regional Council. (Haaretz)

7:56 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Kerem Shalom on the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

7:51 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in central Israel. (Haaretz)

7:23 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sha'ar Hanegev and Sdot Negev Regional Councils. (Haaretz)

7:15 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sha'ar Hanegev and Sdot Negev Regional Councils. (Haaretz)

6:59 P.M. Mortar shell falls near a community in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, causing damage. (Shirly Seidler)

6:32 P.M. 12 mortar shells land in Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, rocket strikes open area in Netivot and another projectile lands in Eshkol Regional Council in latest barrages. No word yet of injuries. (Haaretz)

6:27 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sdot Negev Regional Council and Gaza border communities. (Haaretz)

6:17 P.M. Fragments from an intercepted rocket hit a mall in Ashdod, no injuries reported. (Shirly Seidler)

6:10 P.M. The president of the United Nations' top human rights body has appointed a former New York Supreme Court judge to serve as the third member of a commission investigating possible violations of the rules of war in Gaza.

Gabon Ambassador Baudelaire Ndong Ella, who presides over the UN's 47-nation Human Rights Council, said Monday Mary McGowan Davis will join William Schabas and Doudou Diene on the commission created by the council's July 23 resolution.

Davis, who also was a federal prosecutor and has previous UN experience related to Gaza, will take the place of British-Lebanese lawyer Amal Alamuddin. Alamuddin, who is engaged to marry George Clooney, said she could not accept the role shortly after she had been appointed to it.

A commission report is due in March 2015. (AP)

6:08 P.M. Major barrage fired at Gaza border communities. At least a dozen alerts sound in a matter of minutes. (Haaretz)

5:54 P.M. One rocket intercepted over Ashdod, one rocket lands in an open area. Three rockets land in open areas in Sdot Negev Regional Council. Rocket sirens sound in Ashkelon area (Shirly Seidler and Haaretz)

5:46 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sderot and Gaza border communities. (Haaretz)

5:31 P.M. Ashkelon Mayor Itamar Shimoni leaves meeting with Education Minister Shay Piron in protest over opening the academic year as scheduled.

Rocket sirens sound in Ashdod and Ashkelon areas. (Yarden Skop and Haaretz)

5:20 P.M. The IDF and Shin Bet struck a car in Gaza City this afternoon, which the Shin Bet claimed was carrying fighters and gunmen from the Army of Islam planning on carrying out an attack in the near future. The Shin Bet noted that the Army of Islam receives funding and works under the auspices of Hamas.

According to Palestinian news agency Ma'an, three people were killed in the attack on a vehicle. According to health officials, the casualties include Ahmed al-Dali and brothers Bassam and Ahmed Hajazi. Seven other people were wounded in moderate to serious condition.

A total of 11 people have been killed over the course of the day, according to Palestinian medical officials. (Gili Cohen and Haaretz)

5:03 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sderot and Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. (Haaretz)

4:50 P.M. Some 100 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel over the course of Monday.

4:45 P.M. 300 additional families from Gaza border communities have requested assistance from the Defense Ministry to evacuate the rocket-battered area. 400 families have already left the areaand have been staying in youth hostels and facilities belonging to the Association of Wellbeing of Israel's soldiers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that schools without sufficient protection would not open on the scheduled opening date of September 1st. The National Emergency Authority has been deliberating on how to deal with the children evacuated from Gaza border communities.

Among the options under discussion include the opening of classrooms in the alternative lodging facilities where families are staying or integrating them into the local educational institutions. (Nir Hasson)

4:41 P.M. Two mortar shells land in open areas in Eshkol Regional Council, no sirens were sounded beforehand. (Shirly Seidler)

4:34 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. (Haaretz)

4:32 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. (Haaretz)

4:29 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. (Haaretz)

4:01 P.M. Six Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip on Monday following Israeli air strikes, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. (DPA)

3:48 P.M. IDF says they have struck a rocket launcher stationed in a Shujaiyeh school that was used to fire projectiles on Gaza border communities. (Gili Cohen)

3:39 P.M. More than 80 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel from Gaza since midnight, according to the IDF. Some 70 of the projectiles fell within Israel and nine were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. The IDF has attacked more than 30 targets in Gaza over the course of the day. (Gili Cohen)

3:27 P.M. Iron Dome intercepts rocket over Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, another rocket lands in an open area. Rocket sirens sound in Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. (Shirly Seidler and Haaretz)

3:18 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in towns near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

3:14 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in towns near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

3:09 P.M. Rocket sirens sound in Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. (Haaretz)

2:35 P.M. Three rockets explode in open areas in Sdot Negev Regional Council. 15 projectiles have been launched at Sdot Negev since this morning. Ten of these exploded and five were intercepted. (Shirly Seidler)

2:18 P.M. One person was lighly wounded by a mortar shell fired from Gaza in the Eshkol Regional Council. No alarm was sounded beforehand. Three other mortar shells fell in the area, hitting a high-voltage line and causing a blackout in several communities. (Shirly Seidler)

2:05 P.M. Sirens sound in several communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

1:53 P.M. Sirens sound in the Ashkelon area and in several towns near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

1:48 P.M. Sirens sound in several communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

1:02 P.M. Sirens sound in several communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

12:50 P.M. Four mortar shells fall in open areas in the Sdot Negev Regional Council, located near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

12:48 P.M. The Israeli military says it struck two militants who fired mortar shells at Gaza-bordering communities. The army says earlier it carried out an attack against a militant in the northern Gaza Strip who was responsible for rocket launches. (Gili Cohen)

12:40 P.M. Several mortar shells fired from Syria fell in the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. The Israeli army says these are likely errant shells due to Syria infighting. (Gili Cohen)

12:35 P.M. Seventeen mortar shells have been fired at Israeli towns from Gaza in the last 20 minutes. Fifteen of the shells fell in open areas near the security fence surrounding Gaza, two landed in Palestinian territory. (Gili Cohen)

12:24 P.M. Sirens go off in several Gaza-bordering towns. (Haaretz)

12:17 P.M. Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas offical and head of the Palestinian delegation to Cairo, rejects reports of progress in talks with Israel on a Gaza cease-fire deal. (Jack Khoury)

12:08 P.M. Sirens sound in several communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

12:01 P.M. Sirens souds in several communities near the Gaza border in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. (Haaretz)

11:48 A.M. Siren sounds in a community near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

11:39 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sderot and in communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

11:37 A.M. Iron Dome intercepts three rockets over the Sdot Negev Regional Council. Four projectiles fall in the Eshkol Regional Council, a woman was lightly wounded and is now being treated.

The Erez border crossing with Gaza reopens after Israel closed it on Sunday following a mortar shell attack that wounded three Israeli civilians. (Shirly Seidler)

11:32 A.M. Sirens sound in several communities near the Gaza border as a heavy barrage fired at communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

11:08 A.M. Barrage launched at several communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

11:05 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in a community near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

11:00 A.M. Ofir Akunis, a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Office, in response to reports on Mahmoud Abbas' planned diplomatic initiative: "No nation gives up its native homeland. Judea and Samaria are the cradle of the Jewish people. Withdrawal to the 1967 lines is tantamount to national suicide. The results of the withdrawal from Gaza show that withdrawals don't bring peace – they bring war."

On Sunday Palestinian officials said that Abbas is planning to ask the UN to set a timetable for the end of the Israeli occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines, with its capital in East Jerusalem. (Jonathan Lis)

10:32 A.M. Sirens go off multiple times in communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

10:30 A.M. Sirens go off in communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

10:27 A.M. Sirens sound in communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

10:26 A.M. Iron Dome intercepts a rocket over the southern city of Sderot. Three mortar shells fall in the Eshkol Regional Council, one of them damaged a chicken coop. No injuries. (Shirly Seidler)

10:23 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in several communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

10:17 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in Sderot and in communities near the Gaza border. (Haaretz)

10:10 A.M. Iron Dome intercepts a rocket over Be'er Sheva. (Gili Cohen)

9:58 A.M. Rocket sirens sound multiple times in Be'er Sheva and in a community in the Bnei Shimon Regional Council, north west of Be'er Sheva. (Haaretz)

9:56 A.M. The three victims of Sunday's mortar attack on the Erez border crossing are receiving treatment at the Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon. All of the three are in stable condition. One was admitted to the intensive care unit and the two others to the surgical and the orthopedic wards. (Shirly Seidler)

9:41 A.M. Palestinian sources say three people were killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Gaza: a woman in Beit Lahiya in the northern Strip and two men in Gaza city. Ten others were wounded in the attacks. (Jack Khoury)

9:37 A.M. Eight rockets and mortar shells fell in the Eshkol Regional Council. Seven of the projectiles landed in open areas and two in a built-up area. In the Ashkelon region, an Iron Dome battery intercepted three rockets and three others exploded in open areas in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. No damage or injuries. (Shirly Seidler)

8:49 A.M. Sirens in central Israel - Dan and Sharon regions - were a false alarm, IDF says. (Gili Cohen)

8:44 A.M. Sirens sound in Eshkol Regional Council (Haaretz)

8:23 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in a community in the Eshkol Regional Council. (Haaretz)

8:18 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and in several cities in the Sharon region. (Haaretz)

7:53 A.M. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas representative in Lebanon, tells a Hamas radio station that "efforts are underway to stop the Israeli aggression." (Jack Khoury)

7:40 A.M. Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the Palestinian negotiations delegation to Cairo, says that contrary to reports, the sides have yet to agree on a cease-fire in Gaza. "If such an agreement is [reached], we will inform the Palestinian people," he wrote in a Facebook post overnight. (Jack Khoury)

7:27 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in Ashkelon and the surrounding area. (Haaretz)

7:21 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in communities in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, near the Gaza border (Haaretz)

6:39 A.M. Two mortar shells explode in Eshkol Regional Council, one inside a community and one in an open area. (Shirly Seidler)

6:27 A.M. Rocket barrage fired at areas surrounding Ashkelon and Ashdod. (Haaretz)

6:22 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in Eshkol Regional Council. (Haaretz)

6:19 A.M. Senior Islamic Jihad officials believe that Israel and Palestinian factions are likely to agree to a cease-fire in Gaza in a matter of hours. Both sides have yet to make an official statement.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement Sunday night that called on Israel and Palestinian factions to agree to an indefinite cesae-fire and to return to the negotiating table.

If both parties agree to a cease-fire, negotiations for other issues previously addressed - including the sea port, airport, and prisoners - will be renewed within a month, according to the sources.

The officials added that Israel has agreed to open the border crossings as part of Gaza's rehabilitation process, but cautioned that Israel will have to commit to the cease-fire's framework, which includes the cessation of all acts of aggression, namely targeted assassinations. (Jack Khoury)

12:41 A.M. The firing of five rockets at Israel Saturday night in the Golan Heights was intentional, not a part of ongoing exchanges between the Syrian army and rebels fighting the Assad regime, a defense establishment source said. The assessment is that the rockets were launched not by Assad forces but by a Palestinian faction, although the precise identity of those responsible is not yet clear. (Gili Cohen) Read full article here

12:02 A.M. Three rockets intercepted over Gedera. (Shirly Seidler)

12:00 A.M. One rocket intercepted over Ashkelon, three explode in open areas, one of which started a fire. (Shirly Seidler)

Open gallery view Smoke and dust rise after an Israeli strike hits Gaza City, August 25, 2014. Credit: AP

Open gallery view A picture taken from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza Border on August 24, 2014, shows rockets being fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Credit: AFP