Israel resumes air strikes in Gaza

Israel launched air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Friday in response to Palestinian rockets after Egyptian-mediated talks failed to extend a 72-hour truce in a month-long war. Egypt later called for a resumption of the ceasefire, saying only a few points remained to be agreed. Palestinian factions said they would meet Egyptian mediators later in the day but there was no sign of any imminent deal. An Israeli government official said Israel would not negotiate with Palestinians while militants continued to unleash missiles. As warning sirens sounded in southern Israel, the military said ‘Gaza terrorists’ had fired more than 45 rockets on Friday morning and the ‘Iron Dome’ interceptor system had brought down two. Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the salvoes from the Hamas-dominated enclave. Accusing Hamas of breaking the ceasefire, Israel said several of the rockets had been launched about four hours before the truce was due to end at 8:00am (0500 GMT). Heavier barrages followed shortly after the ceasefire period expired, according to Reuters.