Israel has cut off talks for a ceasefire agreement with Palestinian Islamic Jihad after the terror group renewed intense rocket fire on Israel Friday morning, an Israeli official told Hebrew media outlets.
The Israel Defense Forces renewed strikes on the coastal enclave just before noon Friday, after Islamic Jihad terrorists launched large barrages of rockets on communities near the Strip, and also fired missiles toward the Jerusalem area for the first time in this round of fighting.
The rocket attacks shattered several hours of calm that had raised hopes overnight for a deal to end the hostilities, amid efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations to broker indirect talks.
The senior diplomatic source said that the military was preparing a “significant” response to the wave of rocket fire, adding, “if we need to escalate, we’ll do it.”
An Egyptian official cited by Channel 12 news said that talks were not advancing as of Friday morning.
Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, the military liaison to the Palestinians, informed Egyptian mediators that Israel would not hold talks while under fire, according to the Ynet news site.
As rocket fire resumed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding a security assessment with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, Mossad chief David Barnea, Netanyahu’s military-secretary Avi Gil, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and others.
According to Army Radio, the premier ordered targeted strikes on Islamic Jihad to continue after the bombardment.
Ceasefire efforts had been held up by Islamic Jihad’s demand that Israel halt assassinations, a proposal Jerusalem has rejected outright.
“The bombing of Jerusalem sends a message,” Islamic Jihad said in a statement after it fired rockets toward the capital. “What is happening in Jerusalem is not separate from Gaza.”
It also threatened to continue firing rockets into Israel all the way up to a controversial march which brings thousands of flag waving nationalists through Palestinian parts of Jerusalem to celebrate the anniversary of the city’s reunification in 1967.
The annual march has been blamed for ratcheting up or compounding tensions. In 2021, Hamas fighters fired rockets at Jerusalem during the march, setting off 11 days of war. An Egyptian source told The Times of Israel that Cairo was rushing to get a deal finished before the march.
One rocket slammed into an open field the West Bank settlement of Bat Ayin, south of Jerusalem ,said Josh Hasten, a spokesperson for the area. Dull thuds could be heard from the capital as missiles were intercepted or impacted open ground, though sirens in the city were never activated.
Videos showed Israelis jumping out of vehicles and crouching beneath highway rails or scrambling for cover as the sirens sounded. Residents in nearby settlements reported hearing explosions and seeing black smoke rising from the hills after an apparent missile interception.
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