Israel, Hamas trade fire as 3-day Gaza cease-fire expires
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ISRAEL and militants from Gaza resumed cross-border attacks yesterday, after a three-day truce expired and talks brokered by Egypt on a new border deal for the blockaded coastal territory hit a deadlock.
Israel launched at least 10 airstrikes in response to rocket and mortar fire from Gaza. One hit the backyard of a mosque and killed a 10-year-old boy, Palestinian officials said.
In Israel, two people were hurt by rocket fire, police said.
Hamas officials said that even though they refused to extend the three-day cease-fire, they were willing to continue negotiations. An Israeli government official said Israel would not conduct negotiations under fire and would protect its citizens by all means.
The Israeli delegation left Cairo yesterday morning, and it was not clear if it would return.
Firing rockets
Within minutes after the temporary truce expired at 8am, Gaza militants began firing rockets. By midday, 33 rockets had been fired. Twenty-six landed in Israel, three were intercepted and four fell short in Gaza, the army said.
Israel eventually responded with what the military said were strikes “across Gaza,” without elaborating.
Police in Gaza said most of the strikes hit empty fields, but that one struck the backyard of the Nour al-Mohammadi Mosque in the Gaza City neighborhood of Sheik Radwan.
Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra said a 10-year-old boy was killed and five boys were wounded, one critically.
Police also reported fire from Israeli tanks on northern Gaza and from Israeli gunboats at the central area of the strip.
In Israel, the army said it was prohibiting gatherings of more than 1,000 people in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas within 80 kilometers of the Gaza border because of the rocket fire.
The resumption of violence cast doubt over the Cairo negotiations.
Both Israel and Hamas are under international pressure to reach a deal. As part of such an arrangement, Israel wants to see Hamas disarmed or prevented from re-arming, while Hamas demands Gaza’s borders be opened. No progress was reported in all-night talks that ended before dawn yesterday.
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev blamed Gaza militants for breaking the cease-fire. “The cease-fire is over,” said Regev. “They did that.”
The three-day truce came after a month of Israel-Hamas fighting, the third cross-border confrontation in just over five years.
Israel launched an air campaign on the coastal territory on July 8, and nine days later, sent in ground troops to target rocket launchers and cross-border tunnels built by Hamas for attacks inside Israel.
Since then, Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed nearly 1,900 Palestinians, wounded more than 9,000, devastated large areas along Gaza’s border with Israel and displaced tens of thousands of people. Sixty-seven people, all but three of them soldiers, have been killed on the Israeli side as Gaza militants fired thousands of rockets at Israel over the past month.
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