Israel braces for rockets before truce runs out

The Walla news site quotes Israeli military sources to the effect that Israel is preparing for a resumption of rocket and mortar fire from Gaza early Monday evening, even though a five-day ceasefire with Hamas is only set to end at midnight.

The projection is based on the assumption that Egypt-brokered talks with Hamas are on the verge of failure, the report says.

The sources are quoted as saying that the ceasefire won’t be broken directly by Hamas but rather by other, smaller armed factions.

Hamas, the sources say, will perfer to “turn a blind eye” to the violations of the ceasefire rather than declare that efforts at cementing a deal have failed.