Tense calm follows Hamas-Israel flare-up

Gaza’s mili— tant Islamic Hamas rulers and Israel appeared to be honoring a cease-fire Friday that ended two days of an intense flare-up in violence amid efforts by neighboring Egypt to negotiate between the two sides.

Israel’s military said that no rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel overnight and it conducted no airstrikes in Gaza against Hamas targets. Israel’s government hasn’t confirmed the truce.

On Friday evening, however, a Palestinian paramedic was shot and killed by Israeli fire at a Hamas-led protest along the border, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment and it was not immediately clear whether protests at the bor- der were included in cease- fire negotiations.

Hamas’ Al Aqsa TV channel reported late Thursday that the Egyptian-brokered deal took hold “on the basis of mutual calm.” It was the third such truce in recent weeks.

But the deal did not seem to address the deeper issues that have prevented the bitter enemies from reaching a longer cease-fire arrangement.

Gaza militants fired some 200 rockets at Israel and the Israeli military carried out a similar number of airstrikes in Gaza in this latest round of violence.

Also on Friday, the Israeli military lifted restrictive recommendations for residents of some areas in southern Israel that it had put in place amid the Palestinian bombing, including suggestions to avoid open areas and beaches.

“Follow ing a security assessment,” residents can resume their daily routine, the military said.