Israelis, Gaza militants fight on, defying truce efforts

ISRAEL launched more than 20 aerial attacks in Gaza early yesterday and militants fired several rockets at Israel as fresh violence flared after a brief truce in the month-long war.

The Israeli military said it had attacked more than 20 sites since midnight in the coastal enclave, without specifying the targets.

Medical officials in Gaza said a Palestinian man was killed, his body found beneath the rubble of one of three mosques that were bombed. The air strikes also hit three houses and fighter planes strafed open areas, they said.

Gaza militants fired five rockets at towns in southern Israel yesterday, setting off alarm sirens but causing no damage or injuries, a military spokeswoman said.

Violence also picked up in the occupied West Bank, where a Palestinian man, 43, died of a gunshot wound after a confrontation with Israeli soldiers in the city of Hebron, medical officials said.

Israeli troops shot and killed another Palestinian man, 20, during a protest on Friday near a Jewish settlement outside Ramallah, Israeli military officials said.

Egypt has made no visible progress in extending the 72hour ceasefire that it mediated this week between Israel and Gaza militants.

The ceasefire ended on Friday with the sides still far apart on terms for renewing it.

Israel accused Hamas of firing several rockets about four hours before the truce expired at 8am on Friday. In all, Gaza militants fired 57 rockets at Israel throughout Friday.

Israel also launched air strikes in Gaza on Friday, killing five Palestinians, among them a 10-year-old boy, near a mosque in Gaza City. An Islamic Jihad militant and three other Palestinians were killed in the southern Gaza Strip.

The police said two people in Israel were injured by mortar fire from Gaza on Friday.

By resuming attacks on Israel, Gaza militants appeared to be trying to ramp up pressure and make it clear that they were ready to fight on to end a blockade of the territory, which both Israel and neighbouring Egypt have imposed.

Heavy civilian casualties and destruction during Israel’s campaign against militants in packed residential areas of the Gaza Strip have raised international alarm over the past month.

Israel said 64 of its soldiers and three civilians had died in the fighting that began on July 8 after a surge in Palestinian rocket salvoes. —