Five Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip Friday as a three-day truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed into new violence. More than 30 people were also wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The Israeli army meanwhile said that 61 rockets were fired by Hamas militants at Israel, injuring two Israelis who were hit by shrapnel, while the military attacked 70 targets in Gaza. The eruption of fighting shattered a brief calm in the month-long series of attacks and counter attacks — and dealt a near-fatal blow to Egyptian-led efforts to secure a long-term cease-fire between the bitter enemies.
A team of Palestinian negotiators remained in Cairo in hopes of salvaging the talks. But participants said the negotiations were not going well, and Israel said it would not negotiate under fire. The Palestinian delegation met again late Friday with Egyptian mediators. More than 1,900 Gazans have been killed, roughly three-quarters of them civilians, according to Palestinian and U.N. officials. Israel has lost 64 soldiers in combat. Three Israeli civilians have also been killed.
IN-DEPTH
- Israel's Military Told to 'Forcefully React' as Cease-Fire Ends
- Broken Peace: Gaza Fighting Grinds Life to a Halt, Again
