Hundreds of rockets from Gaza draw Israeli strikes

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 250 rockets into Israel, drawing dozens of retaliatory airstrikes on targets across the Gaza Strip in a round of heavy fighting that broke a monthlong lull between the enemies.

Six Palestinians were killed, while four Israelis were wounded.

The fighting, the most intense between the sides in months, came as leaders from Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and the smaller armed faction Islamic Jihad were in Cairo for talks with Egyptian mediators aimed at preventing a fraying cease-fire from collapsing altogether.

It also comes at a sensitive time for Israel, which is to mark its Memorial Day and Independence Day holiday this week, before hosting the Eurovision song contest in the middle of the month. Gazans are preparing to begin the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on Monday.

In a familiar scene, air raid sirens wailed across southern Israel throughout the day and into the evening as barrages of rockets were repeatedly fired. Retaliatory airstrikes caused large explosions to thunder across Gaza, as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Outgoing Palestinian rockets left long trails of smoke behind them.

Early Sunday, Israeli police said a rocket landed in a courtyard in Ashkelon, about 6 miles north of Gaza, causing damage to several buildings. As a result, an Israeli man suffered “heavy injuries and was in a grave condition.”

The Israeli military accused the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad of instigating the latest violence by shooting and wounding two Israeli soldiers Friday. It said the shooting was not coordinated with Hamas, but said it holds Hamas responsible for all fire coming from Gaza.