Gaza City”•Israel said it struck 25 more Hamas sites overnight after a barrage of rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip, denying Palestinian claims of a ceasefire Wednesday after the worst flare-up since a 2014 war.
The exchange of fire raised the possibility of yet another war in the beleaguered Palestinian enclave run by the Islamist movement Hamas, which would be the fourth since 2008.
Israel has targeted more than 60 military targets in the Gaza Strip over 24 hours, saying some 70 rockets and mortars were fired into its territory throughout the day Tuesday, a number of which were intercepted by air defense systems.
Three Israeli soldiers were wounded, one moderately and two lightly, the military said. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza.
But after Tuesday’s flareup, followed by sirens and explosions into the night, there were Palestinian claims of a ceasefire.
Late Tuesday, an Islamic Jihad spokesman said a ceasefire agreement had been reached, and on Wednesday senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya also spoke of an accord.