Gaza city, May 11: Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza strip into Israel on Wednesday, while Israel pressed ahead with a series of airstrikes that have killed 21 Palestinians including three senior militants and at least 10 civilians.
As the fighting continued, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt had brokered a cease-fire. But shortly after the announcement, more rockets were fired towards Israel, including a new salvo at the seaside metropolis of Tel Aviv, while Israel struck more targets in Gaza.
The continued fight raised questions about if or when a truce would take effect.
In a prime TV address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants with a caution, “this round is not over”
It was the heaviest fighting between the two sides in months, pushing the region closer towards a full-blown war.
But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad faction.
Hamas, meanwhile, appeared to remain on the sidelines. Experts described this move in the part of Hamas as “a strategic silence” with a long-range vision.
EOM