Fighting goes on, truce efforts falter in Gaza Strip

JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel on Wednesday and Israeli Defense Forces carried out airstrikes against Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip, where the exchange of fire came just hours before a reported cease-fire was expected to occur.

The IDF said rockets were fired at several cities in southern and central Israel, including the country's financial hub Tel Aviv.

About 300 rockets were fired into Israel on Wednesday, the IDF said, adding that at least 60 rockets were intercepted by air defense systems and tens of others failed to reach targets within Israel.

The IDF also announced it struck at over 100 targets in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli emergency services said no injuries were reported during the afternoon barrage, with several people treated for anxiety.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations throughout Wednesday. Reports in several local media outlets suggested a cease-fire between Israel and the Gaza militants had been reached through Egyptian mediation and would come into effect late Wednesday.

However, Netanyahu said his country's offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip "is not over yet". He gave a televised address from the Israeli Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening, praising Israeli air defense systems that intercepted many of the hundreds of rockets fired by Palestinian militants into Israel on Wednesday.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also gave an address, saying he hopes the operation will end soon.

The exchange of fire came after an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip killed three senior PIJ leaders.

The Gaza-based joint chamber of military operations of Palestinian factions later claimed responsibility for launching the hundreds of missiles to Israel on Wednesday. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported 25 people were killed since Tuesday and 64 Palestinians were injured.

Xinhua