On the third day of the biggest escalation of bloodshed in months, Israel and Gaza militants exchanged heavy fire, killing 29 people in the blockaded Palestinian enclave and one in Israel.
According to officials in the congested coastal enclave, Israeli air strikes have killed fighters as well as civilians, including numerous children, since Tuesday.
According to Israeli authorities, a rocket fired from Gaza killed one person and injured at least two others in the central Israeli city of Rehovot. Three more people were injured by shrapnel somewhere in Israel.
Cairo was mediating efforts towards a truce between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group, while European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for “an immediate comprehensive ceasefire”.
The United States stopped short of a clear call for a truce, but State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said the casualties were “tragic and heartbreaking”, while urging that steps be “taken to ensure that violence is reduced”.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said “the bloodletting must end now”, and the UN warned of “a negative impact on an already difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza”.
According to a source close to Islamic Jihad, “a final formula for a ceasefire” is currently being discussed in Egypt.
The Israeli army, on the other hand, said shortly before midnight (2100 GMT) that it will continue to strike Islamic Jihad targets.
According to the military, Gaza terrorists have fired 620 rockets toward Israel since Wednesday, with 179 intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
According to the army, 25% of rockets fired from Gaza struck the area itself, killing four persons, three of them were kids. AFP was unable to acquire instant confirmation from Islamic Jihad or Hamas.
