Hamas fires rockets, Israel bombs Gaza despite talk of truce

[Swordsmyth]

Palestinians fired dozens of rockets into southern Israel and Israel launched scores of air strikes in Gaza as fighting entered a second day on Thursday despite efforts to broker a truce to end months of simmering violence.Palestinian officials said three people were killed in the Israeli attacks: a member of the Islamist Hamas group that rules Gaza, a pregnant woman, and her 18-month-old child. At least five civilians were wounded, local medical officials said.
The Israeli military said seven people were wounded in southern Israel; one was identified by her employer as a Thai agricultural worker.
The exchanges, which began on Wednesday, have stayed within familiar parameters. The rocket fire from Gaza has not targeted Israel's heartland and the Israeli military said its air strikes were limited to Hamas installations.
Yuval Steinitz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner cabinet, told Israel Radio: "We are not eager for war and are not interested in a broader confrontation but at the same time it could certainly happen because we will not make any concessions to Hamas."
Netanyahu was due to convene the security cabinet later to assess the situation.

More at: https://www.yahoo.com/news/hamas-fir...045049200.html

[Swordsmyth]

Gaza's Hamas rulers said late Thursday that a truce had been reached with Israel, ending an intense two-day burst of violence that had pushed the region closer to war. But the deal did not appear to address the deeper issues that have prevented the bitter enemies from reaching a longer cease-fire arrangement. Hamas' Al Aqsa TV channel reported late Thursday that the Egyptian-brokered deal has taken hold "on the basis of mutual calm." It said the deal was mediated by Egypt and other unidentified regional players.
A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the agreement merely ended the latest round of violence, in which Gaza militants fired some 200 rockets at Israel and the Israeli military carried out a similar number of airstrikes in Gaza. He said Egypt, which often serves as a mediator between the sides, would continue the more difficult task of brokering a long-term cease-fire.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media, denied a deal had been reached. But early Friday, the situation in Gaza appeared quiet.

More at: http://www.startribune.com/3-palesti...rip/490424731/

[enhanced_deficit]

Semite-on-semite violence is on the rise again in holy land. Tax payers funded anti-nepotism champion Kushner's Peace Plan was supposed to spread more peace and freedom there for people of all races. What happened?