A truce between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza has ended amid fresh air strikes which Israel says were countering rocket fire.
Palestinian group Hamas said the wife and child of its military commander Mohammed Deif were killed in the raids.
Israel said about 50 rockets were launched from Gaza on Tuesday, but there were no injuries reported.
Talks in Cairo to end the violence broke up with no deal, and Israeli delegates said they would return home.
Officials say 2,016 Palestinians and 66 Israelis have died since Israel began its offensive on Gaza on July 8.
Azzam al-Ahmad, the lead Palestinian negotiator and a senior member of the Fatah movement, blamed Israel for the failure to reach a deal.
“There was an Israeli decision to make the Cairo talks fail,” he said in quotes carried by Reuters news agency.
However, Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said that rocket fire from Gaza had “made continuation of talks impossible” and “destroyed the premise upon which the talks were based”.
The US has voiced concern about the renewed hostilities, and blamed Hamas, the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamist group.
“Israel has the right to defend itself against such attacks,” state department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters.
Israeli officials said the first three rockets landed in open fields near Beersheba, causing no injuries. Two were intercepted over Netivot.
Later, longer-range rockets targeted Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the Israeli military said – and warning sirens have sounded around southern and central Israel.
Witnesses in Gaza reported several Israeli air strikes, from Beit Lahiya in the north to Rafah in the south.
Israel launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8 with the aim of ending rocket fire. It also sought to destroy tunnels dug under the frontier with Israel used by militants to launch attacks.
The Palestinian health ministry says that 2,016 Palestinians have been killed since the offensive began, including 541 children and 250 women.
The Israeli authorities say 64 Israeli soldiers have been killed, along with two Israeli civilians and a Thai national. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Evil brings evil. I'm not qualified 2 judge but my question is; why must Hamas lunch rocket in other people's region nd expect peace in return? Isn't it d rocket lunched by Hamas dat Isreal's preventg? We must let Hamas know they're bringing evil 2 their people if as thet claim their people are in Isreal because Isreal wouldn't fold her hand nd watch destroyers 2 destroy her. All I'm saying is, that d only 2 peace is by dialogue. Evil brings evil nd no wicked man shall go unpunished. You don't give soul, so stop wasting other people soul because u want 2 make a name. God's in control
ReplyDeleteD issue between these two countries is not of now. I think it is better to know real truth about them before passing our comments. Thank u.
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