As Soon As The Israel-Palestine Ceasefire Ends, The Violence Once Again Resumes
According to reports from the Israeli military, at least 35 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza when a 72-hour ceasefire expired around 8 am local time.
The Iron Dome defense system intercepted three of the rockets, but two Israelis were wounded, according to the army.
Israel responded in kind, launching more airstrikes on Gaza on Friday morning.
Witnesses say that thousands of Palestinians fled their homes near Gaza City as a consequence of the renewed Israeli airstrikes.
At present, it's not clear how many casualties there were. However, Al-Jazeera reports that at least one 10-year-old child was killed and six people were wounded as a result of the Israeli airstrikes.
Thus, it appears that there were no substantive results in the peace talks mediated by Egyptian officials this week.
During these negotiations, the Palestinian side demanded that Israel end a blockade that has crippled Gaza for the past eight years. They also called for the release of around 125 prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
According to The Guardian, Fawzi Barhum, the Hamas spokesman, stated:
All the Palestinian factions, including Hamas, have agreed not to renew the ceasefire because [Israel] is refusing to accommodate our demands.
There were hopes that this ceasefire might finally produce an agreement between Palestine and Israel, as Israel withdrew all its ground troops from Gaza when the brief truce began on Tuesday.
Presently, Israeli troops have been kept along the Gazan border, and could possibly be sent back given the fighting has resumed.
As a consequence of this conflict, which began on July 8, over 1,800 Palestinians have been killed and at least 10,000 injured.
According to UN figures, 73 percent of these individuals were civilians.
At least 64 Israeli soldiers have also died during this conflict, primarily during the ground invasion, along with three civilians killed by rocket fire coming from Gaza.
H/T: The Guardian, Photo Credit: Getty Images
