Gaza City: The most violent confrontation in months between Israel and Palestinian militants continued for a third straight day on Friday, as Israeli warplanes struck targets in the Gaza Strip and militants fired more rockets at Israel.
There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side on Friday, as foreign mediators pressed ahead with efforts to reach a cease-fire.
The past few days of fighting have killed 31 Palestinians in Gaza and a 70-year-old man in central Israel.
The Israeli military said its warplanes struck Islamic Jihad rocket launchers. Gaza residents reported explosions in farms near the southern city of Rafah.
A burst of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip sent air raid sirens wailing near Israel’s southern border Friday, breaking a 12-hour lull that had raised hopes that Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations could soon be able to broker a cease-fire. The cross-border exchanges this week have pitted Israel against Islamic Jihad, the second-largest militant group in Gaza after the territory’s Hamas rulers.
Since Tuesday, Israel says its strikes have killed five senior Islamic Jihad figures. Islamic Jihad has retaliated with over 800 rockets fire toward densely populated parts of Israel.
In that time, Israel’s military said it has used airstrikes to hit at least 215 targets in Gaza, including rocket and mortar launch sites and militants preparing to
use them.